bbm’s 2015 machinery showcase - broom, brush and mop

September/October 2015

Broom, Brush & Mop MagazineS E R V I N G T H E I N D U S T R Y S I N C E 1 9 1 2

National Broom, Mop& Brush Meeting

Nov. 19-20In St. Louis

Mop ManufacturersSee Stable Cotton Prices

Handle, BlockMakers See

Increased SalesAmerican Select Tubing

PelRay International

Whitley Monahan Handle Co.

Amerwood

Zelazoski Wood Products

Northeast-Brazil

June 2015Imports/Exports

Raw Material Report

BBM’s 2015 Machinery Showcase

Boucherie Borghi GroupZahoranskyWoma

Bizzotto Giovanni AutomationWöhlerUnimac

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Advancing Automation Critical Component Of Industry Machinery _______6

Mop Manufacturers See Stable Cotton Prices ______________28

Handle, Block MakersSee Increased Sales __________________32

Industry News ________________27, 30, 40

Raw Material Report __________________54

Raw Material Imports Mixed,Finished Goods Imports/Exports Up_____42

June 2015 Import & Export Statistics___44

Features Associations

Rankin Publishing, Inc.204 E. Main St., P.O. Box 130 • Arcola, IL 61910-0130, USAPhone: (217) 268-4959 • Fax: (217) 268-4815 Website: www.rankinpublishing.com

CO-PUBLISHERSDon Rankin [email protected]

Linda Rankin [email protected]

EDITORHarrell [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITORRick [email protected]

GRAPHICS/PRODUCTIONGina VolkDavid Opdyke

RECEPTIONGina Volk

Imports/ Exports

AMERICAN BRUSH MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION736 Main Ave., Suite 7, Durango, CO 81301 • (720) 392-2262

AMERICAN HARDWARE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION801 North Plaza Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4977 • (847) 605-1025

FEIBP EUROPEAN BRUSH FEDERATIONP.O. Box 90154, 5000 LG Tilburg, The Netherlands • 00 31 13 5944 678

INTERNATIONAL SANITARY SUPPLY ASSOCIATION7373 N. Lincoln Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1799 • (847) 982-0800

INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES ASSOCIATION6400 Shafer Court, Suite 650, Rosemont, IL 60018 • (847) 292-4200

Staff

A RANKIN PUBLISHING PUBLICATION September/October 2015 | Volume 105, Number 5 Magazine

PG 4 BBM MAGAZINE | September/October 2015

Broom, Brush & Mop

Index of AdvertisersABMA.....................................................................55

American Select Tubing............................................34

Amerwood ...............................................................47

Bizzotto Giovanni Automation....................................21

Borghi USA .............................................................56

Boucherie Borghi Group............................................11

Boucherie USA ........................................................15

Caddy & Co., Inc., R.E. ............................................46

Culicover & Shapiro .................................................46

Deco Products Co. ...................................................31

Distribuidora Perfect, S.A. ........................................45

DKSH .......................................................................3

DuPont Filaments ......................................................9

Garelick ..................................................................37

Gordon Brush Mfg. Co. Inc. ......................................39

Interbrush ...............................................................41

Jones........................................................................1

Loos & Co. ..............................................................38

Mill-Rose ................................................................33

Monahan Filaments....................................................7

Monahan Partners ....................................................29

PelRay International...................................................2

PMM ......................................................................30

Royal Paint Roller ....................................................36

Unimac...................................................................25

Vonco .....................................................................35

Wohler ....................................................................23

Wolf Filaments ..........................................................5

Woma .....................................................................19

Zahoransky..............................................................17


Now in the second year of theirpartnership, representatives of BorghiS.p.A., headquartered in Castelfranco

Emilia, Italy, and G.B. Boucherie, based inIzegem, Belgium, remain committed to sharinginformation and expanding joint brush equipmentprojects.

“A major benefit of coming together has beenthe enthusiasm generated in both Flanders

(Belgium) and Italy,”Francesco Carullo,head of marketingfor the BoucherieBorghi Group, said.“There has alwaysbeen a lot of prideamong the employeesof both companies.The new relationshiphas provided an

excellent motivator for further integration. “The timing of the merger two years before the

2016 InterBrush was ideal. This allowed theGroup to immediately begin some commonprojects. In order to stimulate cooperation onboth sides, workshops were started to help Borghiand Boucherie teams better share information,”Carullo said. “As such, various technical teamshave come together on a regular basis tobrainstorm about technical issues, while thesame can be said for sales and purchasing peoplewithin both organizations.”

Carullo noted that the first “crossover” salesefforts have proven beneficial. For example,members of the Borghi staff have been sellingtoothbrush machines, while Boucherie peoplehave been selling nail polish brush machinery.

“This is further evidence that members of theBoucherie Borghi Group are working as a singleentity,” he said. “Due to the reorganization of oursales network, we are now more than evercapable of reaching each and every brushmakerin the world with a complete range of solutions.”

Although Carullo was tight-lipped regardingnew machinery visitors will see at the BoucherieBorghi Group exhibition booth at the upcomingInterBrush, he said expectations are high.

“Boucherie and Borghi will be exhibiting atInterBrush for the first time together, but withmany of the same people customers on both sideshave known for years,” he added. “Thesecustomers should feel right at home in our booth,just as they did before the merger. There will be‘Boucherie things’ and there will be ‘Borghithings’ at the joint booth. Both sides have a strongheritage of which we are all very proud.

“We all feel customers will be very surprisedwith the projects our members at the BoucherieBorghi Group have been working on. Customerswill see ‘Boucherie’ and they will see ‘Borghi,’but they will also see ‘Boucherie + Borghi.’”

He added that a continual focus on providingsolid customer service remains a key to success.Therefore, the strategy is clear for officialsrepresenting the Boucherie Borghi Group:provide a local presence and short reactiontimes to customer demands.

“Customer service improvement was one ofthe main targets of the merger. Together, Borghiand Boucherie provide a wider service network,capable of reaching customers all over theworld,” Carullo said. “We are committed toimproving the skills of our personnel. This isdone with an extensive cross-training program,allowing employees on both sides to quicklylearn each other’s machinery and technologies.”

The need for greater automation in machinerycontinues to grow among brush makers, especiallythose located in Europe and North America.

“Developed countries are continuing toexperience greater investment in local

manufacturing. The only way these manufacturerscan stay competitive is through innovation andautomation. This is due to manufacturing costsstill being higher in the developed worldcompared to emerging markets,” Carullo said. “Atthe Boucherie Borghi Group, we look forward toproviding new solutions for customers, which, inturn, reduces costs, increases the efficiency ofmanufacturing processes and, in the end, makesthese customers more competitive.”

The challenge moving forward, he added, is tokeep offering the right solutions in order tomeet each and every customer’s needs.

“This means focusing on more automation,higher efficiency and better performance for thebig players, and, at the same time, simple andcost-effective entry level machinery for thenewcomers and small businesses among ourcustomer base,” Carullo said. “This is done byalways listening to what customers tell us, andworking together so the Boucherie Borghi Groupcan continue to provide great support.”

Contact: Bodam Intl. Ltd., 903 Cirelli Ct., Aberdeen, MD 21001 USA. Phone: 410-272-9797.

E-mail: [email protected]: www.bodam.com.

Boucherie USA, Inc., 8748 Gleason Road,Knoxville, TN 37923 USA.Phone: 865-247-6091.

E-mail: [email protected]: www.boucherie.com.

As a single-source provider in machinebuilding, mold making and automationtechniques, officials at the Zahoransky

Group see continued growth for 2016 and theyears to follow. They are especially excited toshowcase the company’s new items during theupcoming 2016 InterBrush.

“We will highlight several new developmentsin the areas of machinery, mold production andother innovations for the broom and brushindustries as well as the oral care segment,”Zahoransky Director of Sales & MarketingRobert Dous said. “Zahoransky will introducesome completely new household brush makingmachines as well as a new toothbrush production

Francesco Carullo

OF INDUSTRY MACHINERYCRITICAL COMPONENTADVANCING AUTOMATION

SPECIAL FOCUS | MACHINERY 2015

By Harrell Kerkhoff | Broom, Brush & Mop Editor

Advancing automation through innov ationremains a critical component to success for those

companies that design and manufacturemachinery used in the production of various typesof brushes, mops, brooms and related products.

Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine recentlyinterviewed several representatives of equipmentmanufacturers to learn about new developments attheir companies, and discuss how they are helping

customers become more productive. Many ofthese officials also discussed plans for the 2016InterBrush trade fair, scheduled for April 27-29

in Freiburg, Germany.

BOUCHERIE BORGHI GROUP

ZAHORANSKY


line, featuring extremely high output, duringInterBrush.”

Zahoransky’s booth at next year’s InterBrushwill be approximately 60 percent larger than thecompany’s 2012 entry, he added.

“This additional space will provide visitors agreater InterBrush experience,” Dous said. “Weare also planning a ‘Global Schwarzwald’ boothparty during the second day of the exhibition.”

With approximately 700 employeesworldwide, the Zahoransky Group operates from10 facilities located in Germany, Spain, China,Japan, India and the United States.

“Diverse experiences and added competencegained while serving the brush industry over theyears has successfully led the Zahoransky Groupto other fields as well. This includes injectionmolding, packaging and automation technology,”Dous said. “All of these areas have expanded thecore competencies of our company.”

He added thatZahoransky providescomprehensive systemsolutions for the com -plete process chain,including the integrationof packaging, handlingand programming ofrobots for fully auto -mated production andassembly lines.

Among the company’s product offerings are:n Machinery and equipment for the production

of household, technical, cosmetic, medical, healthand oral care brushes;

n Packaging machines;n Injection molds;n System technology containing injection

molds and automation solutions for the consumergoods and personal care industries, as well ashybrid components in the fields of automotive,electronic, medical engineering and pharmacy;and,

n Worldwide consulting and services, supportingcustomers with product design, process dev -elopment and project planning.

Dous reported that there has been record salesgrowth for the Zahoransky Group over the pastseveral years.

“We recorded the company’s highest orderincome in 2014 at $85 million euros. Theprojections for 2015 are very promising as we areexpecting sales to exceed that of 2014,” he said.“Growing fast does present some challenges. In afew years, Zahoransky is projected to reach the$100 million euro level. However, a globalcompany strategy was set up a few years ago toprepare Zahoransky, it employees and suppliersto handle the consequences of such growth.

“Financially, Zahoransky is in extremely goodshape, and ready to invest in additional projects.”

For example, after the 2014 inauguration of anew 2,500 m² plant in India, in June 2015 thecompany broke ground on an expansion at its

plant in Logroño (La Rioja), Spain — doublingits size from 2,100 m² to 4,200 m². Zahoranskyofficials are also preparing for the opening of anew subsidiary in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which isscheduled for early 2016.

In addition to new projects, an expanded focuson customer service remains a high priority at theZahoransky Group. Dous said the company hasbegun a strategic project to extend its customerservice footprint on a worldwide basis.

“We are currently adding service stations andhiring staff, along with setting up in-depthprocess optimization. This includes newcustomer service management, new ticketingsystems, greater in-house training andqualification standards, etc.,” Dous said.“Managing low lead times is always a challenge,especially as our orders increase. However, byoptimizing design, manufacturing and assemblyprocessing times, Zahoransky is able toefficiently handle the higher workload.”

The need for advanced automation continuesto increase as customers strive to further reducetheir cost-per-brush objectives, he added.

“Production efficiencies remain veryimportant. State-of-the-art brush making linesmust provide the highest availability, lowestenergy consumption, reduced maintenance andscrap levels, and rapid change-over times,” Doussaid. “Having advanced automation systems inplace is critical for manufacturers producing inhigher wage countries. This helps the U.S. andEuropean brush industries compete against Asianimports. It’s also the best strategy to have whenstriving for greater work safety standards.

“Operator safety is a very important issue.Employer’s liability insurance companies worldwideare paying more attention to this matter, forcing brushmanufacturers to increase safety standards.”

He added that recent foreign exchange rateshave made it easier for European companies toexport products to the United States and otherregions. This has further helped Zahoransky’sgrowth pattern.

“The overall economic situation in Germany isstill very good, despite the economic problemstaking place in Greece and the actual financialstrain through the warm response of refugees andtheir integration,” Dous said.

As 2016 approaches, Zahoransky officialsremain optimistic about their company, and thevarious industries it serves.

“There are so many niches found within thebroom, brush and mop segments. This includesthe many specialized brush manufacturers,” Doussaid. “They continue to need tailored productionequipment. Zahoransky has many solutionsavailable to fit different applications over a widevariety of business segments.

“There are many great manufacturers, suppliersand professionals involved with the globalproduction of brushes, brooms and mops. Thislarge following has a proven ability to withstanddifferent challenges while continuing to grow.”

Contact: Zahoransky AG, Anton-Zahoransky-Strasse 1, Robert Dous, 79674 Todtnau,Germany. Phone: +49 (7671) 997 447;

Cell phone: +49 162 2510 442.E-Mail: [email protected].

Website: www.zahoransky.com.Zahoransky USA Inc., 1601Atlantic Dr., Ste. 133,

West Chicago, IL 60185. 1-630-507-ZUSA (9872).

Helping customers improve throughadvancements in machinery automation,especially in the area of electronics, has

opened new possibilities at Wöhler Brush TechGmbH.

“In order to remain successful and sustainable— whether as a machine constructor or brushproducer — new developments in automationmust be sought,” Wöhler Brush Tech ManagingDirector Matthias Peveling said. “Of particularimportance to Wohler is not only the resultingefficiency that automation can bring, but also theenvironmental aspect. Ever-rising energy costsand sustainable production demands are factorswe take into careful consideration. Technicaladvancements allow us to develop new machinesto satisfy both these factors.

“The development of machinery that providesenvironmental friendly production processes andhigh-energy efficiency continues to grow inimportance — both for our customers and ourcompany.”

Wöhler Brush Tech has over 80 years ofexpertise in the development and construction ofmachine systems for industrial brush production,Peveling said. This experience is directly passed tocustomers to help them meet everyday and specificrequirements.

“Wohler’smachinesallowcustomers toproducemore efficiently and positively stand out from theircompetition — in both quality and cost. It’s notuncommon for cust -omers to achieve auniquesellingstatusbyfulfilling, to an ex -ceptional degree, thedemands of their mar -kets, or even revol -utionizing these mark -ets,”he said.

As a global com -pany, officials atWöhler Brush Techplace a high emphasis on watching worldwidemarket and economic trends. This helpsWöhler repres entatives better understand futuredemands for brushmaking equipment.

“In view of our global operations, it’simportant to look at the overall picture. Due tothe persisting weakness of the euro, we currentlysee it easier for U.S. companies to make

Robert Dous

Matthias Peveling

Continued On Page 52

WÖHLER

With more than 150 years of combinedexperience in the brush industry,Boucherie and Borghi continue to

design, manufacture and sell brush makingmachines — driven by the idea that a machineis considered a success if customers are not onlyhappy and satisfied with it, but also successfulin their own businesses using the Boucherie andBorghi technology.

Some companies need high output solutions,others want full automation, and some have alimited budget. Therefore, two things areextremely important: having the right solutionsfor the different needs, and helping customersfind the machine that best suits them.

A good mix of proven and reliabletechnologies, as well as innovative and advanceddevelopments, is the optimal way to guaranteesteady growth for brush manufacturers in acontinuously changing and evolving environment.

Household Brushes

From brooms todishwashing brushes,from mops to baby-bottle brushes, andfrom small batches tobig volumes, if you arein the household brushmarket, whatever yourmanufacturing needsare, the Boucherie Bor -ghi Group has the rightsolution for you.

For those who switchtheir production veryoften from one type ofbrush to another, single-head machines likethe SPRINT (1 fillingtool, 1 drill, 2 clampingstations, 3 or 4 axes)and the DMU (1 fillingtool, 1 drill, 1 or 2 clamping stations, 5 axes)represent the ideal equipment to minimizeproduction change-over time.

Moreover, SPRINT and DMU are perfect forboth beginners, who will find an easy way tostart brush manufacturing, and experts, givingthem a very efficient tool to make specialtybrushes in smaller production runs.

Vertical tufting machines are the bestcompromise between productivity, ease of use,and maintenance and versatility. The SMARTV2 is a double-head, vertical drilling and fillingmachine, driven by 4 or 5 axes of movement, andrunninginacontinuousworkcycle.

The SMART V2 is ideal for the production offlat brushes, brooms and round-head toiletbrushes, at a reduced investment cost. In thisvertical, double-head machine family, the top ofthe range for performance and flexibility is theSTAR V2 (2 filling tools, 3 drills, continuouswork-cycle, 5 axes), which is capable ofcovering a whole range of products — frombanisters to cloth brushes, from tank brushes totoilet brushes — and, at the same time, deliversa very high production output at the maximumlevel in versatility.

When it comes to bigger volumes andhigher automation, double-head carouselmachines are the answer. The range of carousel

equipment starts with manually-fed machineslike the STAR R32, which is a 5-axis carouselmachine with 3 working stations, along withmanual loading/offloading of the brush backs,double drilling station and double fillingstation. The STAR R32 can produce all thepossible household brush models, and it hasergonomically-designed guards to ensure themaximum ease of work and safety for theoperator.


BOUCHERIEBORGHI GROUP


ADVERTORIAL

Boucherie Borghi Group’s Goal:

SMART V2: The SMART V2 is ideal for theproduction of flat brushes, brooms and roundhead toiletbrushes,ata reduced investmentcost.

The Success Of Their Customers

STAR R32:The STAR R32can produce allthe possiblehousehold brushmodels and hasergonomicallydesigned guardsto ensure themaximum easeof work andsafety for theoperator.

DMU: Single-head machines like the DMU (1 filling tool, 1 drill, 1 or 2clamping stations, 5 axes) represent the ideal equipment to minimizeproduction change-over time.

DURABLE PROTECTIONSafeguarding your investment

WASHING SYSTEM TECHNICAL & INDUSTRIAL BRUSHES

WATCH THE VIDEO:BORGHI.COM/SHELL

The top of the automation level is reached with the TCU version 4 andTCA. Both machines offer different solutions for automatic blockfeeding and 4 working stations. These solutions include loading, drilling,filling and finishing.

In particular, the TCA is a high-output production cell for dish brushesand other fine brushware that can be equipped with handle loading frombulk hoppers, automatic fiber loading and automated packing options.

Beyond the traditional staple-set and anchor-set brush makingequipment, AFT machines feature anchorless tufting technology. Thisenables brush makers to shape their products with new brush designs andmassive cost reductions, saving on block materials, filling materials andenergy consumption.

Personal BrushesFacial brushes are quickly gaining popularity, and are now a

substantial part of the market within the personal brush segment.Specially-built machines in the TB3 series, with 4- or 5-axis CNCcontrol, make these brushes at speeds up to 1000 tufts per minute, without

any index time in between the products. Very fine cylindrical nylon or tapered filaments can be used, and

automatic fiber loading systems are available for both material types. Thepatented CNC-controlled picker eye opening, which allows a precisecontrol of the number of strands from one tuft to the other, is a definiteadvantage when manufacturing these high-tech brushes.

For the manufacturing of hairbrushes made of rubber pads filled withplastic or wooden pins, VENUS is an easy-to-use punching and fillingmachine. It features 5 hole punchers and 5 special filling tools, capable ofworking on 5 brush holders simultaneously, while the pins are fedautomatically.

The BR 31 is an automatic turret style filling machine with 3 stations(loading/offloading, drilling, filling), featuring short stroke and high-speed tufting (650 tufts/minute), for the production of small items likehairbrushes, double-sided nail brushes and hair dye brushes.

The CSF (tufting), coupled with the IACP (lacquering), is the ultimatecombination for nail polish brush manufacturing. These machines areextremely user-friendly. The plastic stems are fed automatically by abowl feeder and tufted at high speeds. The brushes are then trimmed,sanded and moved by the operator (or automatically) to the lacqueringmachine to complete the manufacturing process.

The IDM is a compact, high-output machine for the production ofsmall, twisted-in-wire brushes, such as mascara brushes. It willmanufacture up to 65 brushes per minute. There are variants availablewith spool feed as well as puck feed of the bristles.

Technical & Industrial Brushes The newly designed GIOTTO and GULLIVER HD are going to extend

the already wide range of Borghi solutions for technical and industrial brushmanufacturers. GIOTTO is meant for high volume production of discbrushes, featuring continuous operations along its 3 stations.

The first station allows the operator to load the virgin discs while themachine is drilling and filling them in the other two positions. Every timethe drilling/filling operation is completed, the machine indexes, bringingthe brush automatically to the next station.

When the working cycle is completed, the disc brush returns to the firststation where a CNC controlled trimmer takes action, accurately finishingthe brush. It’s then ready to be taken off by the operator, and replacedwith a virgin block.


TB32-Flexi line is a new and modular multi-filling toolmachine. It can be built with a footprint to fit theavailable workspace, and with all the requiredadditional equipment to manufacture any type oftoothbrush with exceptional quality and high efficiency.

AFT machines feature anchorless tufting technology enabling thebrush makers to shape their products with new brush designs andmassive cost reductions, saving on block materials, filling materialsand energy consumption.

The GULLIVER HD, meanwhile, is the ultimate tool formanufacturing heavy-duty disc brushes. This includes side brooms andgutter brushes used for road sweeping vehicles. The GULLIVER HDsimultaneously can drill and fill disc brushes up to 950mm in diameterand 700mm in filament length. It’s able to combine synthetic filamentwith flat wire in each tuft. Therefore, it’s possible to produce on the samemachine “light” disc brushes filled with plastic filament and “aggressive”brushes where flat wire has been added in each tuft-hole.

The GULLIVER HD and GIOTTO complete the family of technicalbrush making machines, which was already extremely competitive thanksto the ECO TECH, ARCHIMEDE, SHELL and JUPITER models.

Oral Care Toothbrush Production Lines And Work Centers

Boucherie has developed a variety of toothbrush manufacturingequipment. Production machines range from the very affordable TB3-A/100, through the TB3-TS and TB3-FS, which are economically priced,full production lines for less demanding applications, to the highlyautomated and sophisticated TB3-FM an TB3-FM/L.

All of these single header machines run at continuous speeds up to1,000 tufts per minute, and they can be equipped with additionalautomation. For the highest production, Boucherie offers the double-headed TB32-Flexi line. It’s a new and modular multi-filling toolmachine, which can be built with a footprint to fit available workspace. Itcomes with all of the required additional equipment to manufacture anytype of toothbrush, adding exceptional quality and high efficiency.

Anchorless Toothbrush Production Lines And Work Centers

In the field of machinery that is designed for the oral care industry —with the introduction, further development and refining of the AFT/CNCmachine — Boucherie clearly has established a leadership position inanchorless technology. For 15 years, Boucherie has built a vastexperience in this field, and has become the No. 1 partner to the world’smajor toothbrush makers in the development of new products.

The AFT/CNC is the first machine for tufting toothbrushes withoutusing anchors. Block tufts, strip tufts and various combinations of tuftangles widen the range of design options for toothbrush heads, and in-linepre-endrounding of bristles makes the product quality superb. Thistechnology is available in different levels of automation, from completelyhand-loaded to fully automatic.

With the introduction of V-Air Machines, a new member has beenadded to the Boucherie Borghi Group this year. The AVT-S12 tuftingmachine uses vacuum technology to make up to 30 brush heads perminute. These products have excellent strand and tuft retention, featuringtufts of different section shapes. On top of that, the technology produces

GIOTTO is meant for high volume production of disc brushes, featuringcontinuous operations along its 3 stations.

The new SHARP BLD trimmer is the ultimate solution for finishingvirtually any type of brush like tank brushes, fender brushes, toiletbrushes and other speciality brushes.

BBM MAGAZINE | September/October 2015 PG 13


extremely little filament waste. The FRM is a pre-endrounding machinethat end-rounds and cuts filament pucks with great precision for up to 3AVT-S12 machines.

Trimmers The new SHARP BLD is the ultimate solution for finishing virtually

any type of brush such as tank brushes, fender brushes, toilet brushes andother speciality brushes. It features two clamping stations, so the operatorcan load and unload brushes in one position while at the second positionthe trimming and flagging units are working on the previously loadedbrush. The tools are CNC controlled, ensuring maximum flexibility andthe possibility of programing various curved brush profiles.

The SHARP BLD adds another option to already popular trimmermodels. This includes the SHARP 6 carousel trimming and flaggingmachine for brooms and brushes, capable of delivering curved finishingprofiles thanks to interchangeable cams; the SHARP L and SHARP 2Ltrimming and flagging machines for long and short flat brushes, and alsofor trimming and cleaning natural fiber brushes; and the SHARP Bdouble-clamp trimmer for round brushes.

Twisting MachinesIn regard to medium to very large twisted-in-wire brushes, an extended

solution to producing brushes up to 4 meters of maximum length of theproduct is offered with automatic twisting machines found in the AB42TWIST series.

The family of twisting machines is in continuous expansion, withnew versions released every year to meet specific requests fromcustomers. From the core of the machine, which is the twisting unit,several variants have been developed to offer higher levels of automation.This includes an automatic fiber feeder that leaves more time to theoperator for other tasks, the continuous cutting unit which increasesoutput of the machine, handle assembly, and tip bending units that can be

integrated to deliver a finished bottle brush or duster brush at the end ofthe cycle. Also available are stand-alone stations, in case productionvolumes are lower and more flexibility is preferred.

Listening to customers in order to find the right solutions, and makingsure these solutions last a long time, is how the Boucherie Borghi Groupsupports clients for continued success.

Visit www.boucherie.com and www.borghi.com for more information.

For brush manufacturers in the USA and Canada, contact:

For oral care product manufacturers and injection molds:Boucherie USA, Inc.,

8748 Gleason Road, Knoxville, TN 37923 USA. Phone: 865-247-6091;Fax: 865-247-6117.

Email: [email protected] household, technical and industrial

brush manufacturers:Bodam International Ltd.,

903 Cirelli Court, Aberdeen, MD 21001 USA. Phone: 410-272-9797;Fax 410-272-0799.

Email: [email protected]: www.bodam.com.

The AB4 2TWIST family of twisting machines is incontinuous expansion, with new versions releasedevery year to meet specific requests of the customers.

> High performance double-header machine

> Extreme flexibility, with five axis CNC control

> Up to 1200 tufts per minute

> Modular design, available in all levels of automation

> Change-overs in a matter of minutes

TCU/CNC5 AXIS

05/0

4

NEW

The manufacturer reserves the right to change the machines where necessary without prior notice. Certain featuresdescribed or shown may not belong to the standard equipment of the machine.

boucherie USA8905 Kingston Pike Suite 12-183Knoxville, TN 37923Tel: (865) 777-0424Fax: (865) 966-8974email: [email protected]

Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.boucherie.com

boucherie Latin AmericaColumbiaTel: 57-2-655-5444Fax: 57-2-654-0514email: [email protected]

TCU-CNC Version 4 as pictured : machine configured for dishbrushes, equippedwith automated block feed and transfer to an integrated trimming station.

A


More than a century ago, AntonZahoransky marked the start of anew era in brush production when he

developed the first drilling and tufting machinefor brushes. The company has grown into aninternational business, offering completesolutions in the field of machine building andautomation technology.

It now has four divisions: Mold Making,Systems Technology, Packaging Machines andBrush Machines. With approximately 680employees, the company has operations in 10locations in Germany, Spain, China, Japan,India and the USA.

Products Include:• Machinery and equipment for the

production of household, technical, cosmetic,medical, health and oral care brushes;

• Packaging machines;• Injection molds;• System technology containing injection

molds and automation solutions for theconsumer goods industry and personal care, aswell as hybrid components in the fields ofautomotive, electronic, medical engineeringand pharmacy;

• Injection molds and automation solutionsfor the packaging industry;

• The automation of packaging machines;and,

• Worldwide consulting and service,supporting customers with product design,process development and project planning.

High-Tech Solutions For Your Cosmetic Products

It’s highly likely that women all over theworld come into contact with ZAHORANSKYon a daily basis. Because, on average, womenuse no fewer than seven brushes a day for hairand body care — for cleaning their teeth,brushing their hair, putting on mascara orpainting their nails.

If you manufacture products in this marketsegment, ZAHORANSKY is the partner foryou. We develop and produce machines andsystems for manufacturing these kinds of

products — with the highest quality and withmaximum efficiency.

The ZAHORANSKY Experts For Hair Brushes

• VK5E — Producing rubber hair brusheswith wooden, steel or plastic pins, the VK5Emakes the work much easier and pays for itselfin no time. This semi-automatic machine fillsrubber inserts and can be changed over to othermodels quickly, and with high flexibility; and,

• Z.SWAN — Specially designed for drillingand tufting hair brushes. This fully automaticmachine excels by producing a high variety ofbrush types, has extremely short downtimes andvery high output.

High Performance Machine For Nail Polish Brushes

• Z.TUCAN — The expert for nail polishbrushes. Not only is this machine highly cost-effective, but it also requires very little floorspace. With automatic feeding, independentmounting of brush bodies and an integratedquality check, the Z.TUCAN saves time andmoney at every sample change.

The Giant For Small Brushes• Z.SAILFIN — The specialist for mascara

and interdental brushes. This is a future-


ADVERTORIAL

ZAHORANSKYGerman Engineering

With Passion & Perfection

Black Forest Originals

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Passion and Perfection in Molds, Machinery and Automation.Black Forest Quality by ZAHORANSKY

oriented system for mini-brush production,offering outstandingly high output withconsistently high product quality. Z.SAILFINcan be upgraded, and is available as a completesolution. A further combination of machinesmay be needed to best meet variousrequirements.

The Duo For Facial And Nail Brushes• Z.PELICAN 1 and 2 — Ideal for tufting

facial or nail brushes. Filaments are tuftedquickly into the brush body.

ZAHORANSKY Quality Now Also “Made In India”

The following four machines and injectionmolding tools are now also available inZAHORANSKY quality from India.

Since the Indian plant was opened in 2013,ZAHORANSKY has invested steadily there inthe advanced development of brush machines,latest technologies and innovations in order to

achieve the tried-and-trusted ZAHORANSKYstandard. This includes the further training ofqualified specialists.

The ultra-modern factory is located inCoimbatore, India, in an area of 2,500 m², andmeets the highest standards in terms of waterconsumption, energy efficiency, wastereduction, construction materials and interiorwork.

Z.ORCA 113i• Available with manual magazine or

automatic handle feeder;• Tufting, trimming, end-rounding;• Highest end-rounding quality;• Complex toothbrush design is feasible due

to 13 processing stations for trimming androunding;

• Up to 1,000 tufts/minute; and,• Up to 30 brushes per min (depending on

hole field).

“BASIC LINE” - Mold for toothbrushhandles

• Economic entry-level solution;• Quality Made by ZAHORANSKY;• Production of high quality toothbrushes;

and,• Wide range of optional features.Z.SHARK 8• Machine for the manually operated

finishing of toothbrushes;• Up to 1,000 tufts/minute;

• High stacking magazine;• Three-color filament box;• Servo-operated for gentle switchover;• High precision and smooth running; and,• Also for brushes with chemically tapered

filaments.Z.SWORD 17• Machine for the manually operated

finishing of toothbrushes with complex cutsand the best end-rounding quality;

• Date code printing;• Output belt with integrated brush cleaning

unit;• With double clamping units for easy

loading, with belt running on handle side; and,• Trimming and grinding stations can be

replaced quickly.


Z.SHARK 8

Z.ORCA 113i

Z.SWORD 17

Contact:ZAHORANSKY AG, Anton-Zahoransky Strasse 1 Todtnau-Geschwend 79674 GERMANY.Phone: +49 7671-997-0; E-Mail: [email protected]; Website: www.zahoransky.com.

---For USA:

ZAHORANSKY USA, INC., 1601 Atlantic Drive, Suite 133, West Chicago, IL 60185 USA.Phone: +1 630 507-9872; E-Mail: [email protected].

Website: www.zahoransky.com.


In 2014, WOMA was able to make investments that have benefitedboth its employees and customers. Thus, four new employees werehired, enriching the company’s now 10-strong young team. This

includes a new workshop manager, Mr. Sembritzki, two additionalmechanics and an office assistant.

Thanks to the high qualifications of the company’s professionals, WOMAhas significantly improved its skills, particularly in the workshop area. The

company’s day-to-dayroutine now includesrepairs and overhaulsas well as cleaning,inspection and pack -aging of the second -hand machines.

Even all the newcon trol systems havebeen designed andma n u factured, so thata nearly-new mach -

ine is created during a complete overhaul. In addition, the company’smechanics are traveling worldwide for machine dismantling and loading.

For extensive machine overhaul and manufacture of spare parts,company owner Daniel Koehler invested in new workshop equipment.With the existing metal working machines and tools almost all thenecessary work can be performed in-house. This includes welding,sandblasting and painting.

For special parts or services — such as hardening, burnishing, powdercoating or wire EDM — WOMA officials cooperate closely with highly-qualified suppliers from the region.

Not only are current conditions in the WOMA workshop optimized,the company’s sales department has been housed in a new office building

since November 2014. From here,approximately 100 machines find anew owner every year.

Global sales, used machinepurchasing and the associatedlogistics are all organized by salesmanager Maria Kohler andassistant Nadine Mehne. Inquiriesfrom all over the world are handled quickly and easily. This is due to thelatest communication and PC technologies as well as extensive languageskills and years of experience in imports and exports.

The year 2015 has been dominated with preparations for the upcominginternational exhibition, InterBrush, which will take place April 27-29,2016. WOMA’s InterBrush participation will include the latest incompany developments. Visit www.woma-brush.com.


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WOMAWOMA Upgrades:

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ADVERTORIAL

ThestoryofBizzottobegan in1957,when thefounder, Giovanni Bizzotto, turned hisgarage into a small artisan shop dedicated to

the construction of small manual wooden brushmaking machines for local clients. Thanks to hispassion for mechanical equipment, innovativemachines and revolutionary technical solutionspermitted improved quality and an increase inproduction of the articles for which the machinerywas designed toproduce.

Today, due to constant technological researchand development, and putting to good use theprecious experience achieved after many years ofhard work, Bizzotto has evolved to become one ofthe most original realities in the mechanical,industrial sector.

After half a century of dedication, passion andcare for the manufacturing industry, Bizzottocontinues to provide revolutionary and profitabletechnical solutions to customers all over theworld.

Understanding Customers’ Specific NeedsAnd Providing State-Of-The-Art Solutions —This is Bizzotto’s philosophy, a family-ownedcompany that has widened its horizons bypresenting itself as a supplier of totally customizedmachinery for different industrial sectors. It hasfocused on quality with a complete partnership withthe customer, which expresses itself in the capacityto understand the needs of customers and providethem with “made-to-measure” solutions.

ExPERIENCE IN THE SECTOR,COMPLETE ADVICE AND STATE-OF-THE-ART SOLUTIONS. IS THIS WHAT

YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?Precise teamwork is what the Bizzotto

Company puts into the field to support customersin every step of the production process and toimplement truly customized solutions. Thissupport includes:

The Solution Area — A complete staff, withspecific competencies that range from design toengineering, supports the customer in theevaluation of possible product ergonomic andtechnical improvements for which machinery andspecific automation is to be created. Thisconsultation can be very useful since it is based onthe rich experience learned by the company.

The Engineering Area — Once the finalspecifications of the item to be produced or to beassembled are identified, the team of designers andelectronic experts apply the most suitable technical

solutions and automations for the machinery. Astrict cooperation between the differentdepartments guarantees a constant updating in anyphase of the project and the application of the most

innovative and reliable technologies.Manufacturing — Each component of the

machine isproducedwithgreatcare,bothwithin thein-house specialized departments and with thecooperation of reliable partners. After careful andaccuratecontrols, the finalassemblyof thepartsandthe testing takeplace.

All of this is carried out in total observance of

safety standards that are in force, with particularcare taken to simplicity of use and of maintenance.Finally, a team of highly qualified techniciansattend to the installation and start-up of themachinery and any automation that is needed. Thisis done all over the world.

Assistance: The availability of a technical stafffor maintenance and service of machinery and

automation in every part of the world is immediate.Location and solution of the problems, and anypossible upgrade of the machinery, can be carriedout in real time.

Spare Parts Service:Aspare parts warehouse isprovided with a computerized system for therecording and the control of the availability of anyspare part. This assures prompt retrieval and timelyshipping to thecustomer.

BIZZOTTO IS SPECIALIZED IN THREE MAIN SECTORS

Handle Machinery Sector: Sanders, chuckingmachinery (i.e. doming, tapering, tenoning,threading, end boring, cross boring, etc.); paintingmachinery (lacquering); labeling systems; andpacking machinery for the production of woodenhandles.

Complete machinery lines for the production ofmetal handles, starting from the flat steel oraluminum band coil, including painting lines,machines for assembling the various plastic inserts(hanger tips, thread inserts, mop inserts, taperedinserts, etc.), boring, deforming and cutting, as wellas labeling systems and machines for packagingwith theuseofdifferent systems, even robotized.

Woodworking Machinery Sector: Profilingand shaping machines; boring and tappingmachines; and sanders for the production of broomand brush blocks, paintbrush handles and similaritems.

Industrial Automation Sector: Customizedmachinery for the preparation, positioning andassembly of particular products and accessories forthe cleaning industry (mops, floor scrubbers,detergent dispensers, velvet lint brushes for clothescleaning, adhesive lint brushes for clothescleaning, toothbrushes/accessories, etc.,) auto -motive industry and the kitchen appliance industry.

BIZZOTTOGIOVANNI AUTOMATION

Founder Giovanni Bizzotto (left) and his staff in 1957.

Today’s Bizzotto Giovanni Automation team.

The company’s engineering department. BIZZOTTO GIOVANNI AUTOMATION srlVia Buonarroti, 67

35010 Paviola di S. Giorgio in Bosco(Padova) – Italy

Phone: +39 049 9451067Email: [email protected]

Website: www.bizzottoautomation.com

The development of best technical innovations is the driving forcebehind Wohler. As a globally leading manufacturer of industrialbrushmaking machines, Wohler has successfully expanded its

existing machine portfolio in the twist-in brush sector.The application range of twist-in brushes is quite extensive, with an ever

growing importance in industrial applications. A considerable increase indemand can be seen in special and custom forms for small twist-in brushes.Brushes with wire and synthetic fill materials are mainly required forindustrial applications. This is exactly where the newly developed TIM 4comes in.

Four Core Wires And Double Plane Fill MaterialSpecially designed for the production of wire and synthetic twist-in

brushes, the fully automatic TIM 4 operates with four core wires. These arefed from four separate spools, cut directly on the machine and furtherprocessed. An additional alignment unit ensures perfect preparation of thecore wires for the twisting process.

The wire, synthetic or abrasive fill material is fed either in single hanks orfrom spools.

Maximum Flexibility ThanksTo Servo Drive Technology

The unique machine concept ofthe TIM 4 impressively fulfilstoday’s demands in twist-in brushproduction. The user-friendly touchscreen control ideally complementsthe intelligent servo drive tech -nology, offering maximum flex -ibility in the production of smalltwist-in brushes. The freely prog -rammable twist-in range opensfurther opportunities in meetingevery customer requirement.

Consistently High Fill Density At High Performance LevelsThe precision feeding device ensures optimal filling with high densities

and minimal material loss. The high performance of the TIM 4 allowsparticularly efficient production. A rapid return on investment makes it easierfor many companies to expand their brush portfolio to include the productionof twist-in brushes with clean twist-off wire ends (no wire loops).

The World Of Twist-In Brush Machines At WohlerAlong with the TIM 4, Wohler has also further enhanced the MTI 950. This

proven machine, for the fully automatic production of small and miniaturetwist-in brushes with stub ends, has undergone further process optimization.

The highly efficient MTI 950 operates with core wire from spool. Evenhigh tensile and coated wires can be processed this way, allowing greaterrigidity in small cross-sections. The fill material — wire, synthetic or abrasivenylon — is fed from hank. Even very short hank lengths are possible, as thematerial is used up practically without loss. Cylindrical and conical brushforms are possible, as are butterfly brushes, whereby no subsequent trimmingof the brushes is required.

Apart from the short change-over times, easy handling and simplemaintenance, the machine is also equipped with computer-controlled NCtechnology, guaranteeing process repeatability.

The highly flexible semi-automatic SKOD rounds offWohler’s machine portfolio oftwist-in brush production mach -ines. This twist-in brush mach -ine stands out for its greatproduct range — from miniaturebrushes to boiler brushes.Brushes can be produced with,or without, loops on the handleend, and with stub or clean twist-off head ends. Brush trimming is madedirectly on the machine by means of an integrated trimmer, which can alsobe easily programmed via the touch screen control.

Wohler leaves nothing to be desired in the production of industrial twist-inbrushes. This is a truly well-conceived and convincing machinery program.

Contact: Wöhler Brush Tech GmbH,Schützenstraße 38, 33181 BadWünnenberg, Germany.

Phone: +49 29 53 – 73 300.Email: [email protected]. Website: www.bt.woehler.com.



ADVERTORIAL

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ADVERTORIAL

UNIMACFor over 30 years, Unimac has been a

leading company that manufacturesproduction equipment to produce metal

handles. In a completely different segment of theBrush Industry, Unimac also makes machineryfor the production of power brushes such astwist-knot wheel and cup brushes, end-brushes,crimped wire wheel and cup brushes, multi-segment and wide faced power brushes, etc.

From this machinery, Unimac has alsodeveloped testing equipment (spin-test and life-test machines) for testing the various powerbrush types. Beyond that, Unimac has even mademachinery for the preparation of raw materialsused in power brush manufacturing. Thisincludes wire crimping/spooling machines aswell as machines for taking wire, straighteningand cutting it to length and forming it intobundles where needed.

In 2008, Unimac began a partnership withBorghi s.p.a., of Castelfranco Emilia, Italy(makers of staple-set, anchor-set, twisted-in-wireand strip-brush manufacturing machinery). Thiswas done to take advantage of thecomplementary synergy that exists between thetwo companies.

By late 2011, Unimac moved into a newbuilding adjacent to Borghi. This has allowed thetwo companies to collaborate on new machinerydesigns, share ideas and create synergy for theircustomers. With the added space and state-of-the-art facility, Unimac has grown and developedeven more solutions for power brush and metalhandle manufacturers.

Focusing on new techniques to produce powerbrushes, Unimac is constantly developing waysto create choices in production methods. Thisincludes machinery that is versatile for shortruns, easy to change-over and features a balancebetween cost versus production range. In thislight, Unimac has produced the FMR0656Sector Brush Forming machine. It’s manuallyfed with raw materials and then forms, pressesand trims the sector brush. In anotherconfiguration, when removing the trimmingoperation, the machine can be provided with anautomated fiber feeding system and separatetrimmer.

For smaller sector brushes, there is the Unimacmachine model MINI-SECTOR. This prod uction

FMR0656 (above) & Brushes (below): Introduced at InterBrush 2012, the FMR0656 is able toproduce a wide range of segment brushes (ID: 32 – 150 mm). A large variety of fibers can beused with this machine as they are fed manually in bundles as are eyelets and rings. Themachine assembles, compresses and trims these materials forming a segment brush.


machine takes spooled wire material andautomatically feeds the wire, cuts it to therequired length and automatically feeds all thehardware to assemble all of the pieces together.This forms mini-sector brushes that can be madeup of one or multiple segments, with or withoutcenter-pin, and in a variety of sizes. It then ejectsthe finished product that has also been trimmedto size with the product ready for packing.

The machine can produce I.D. sizes from 5 to10 mm, or can be made to produce 8 to 16 mmwhere tooling is required for every I.D. size.

Full Production Line For Metal HandlesWhere elevated levels of metal handle

production are required, UNIMAC has varioussolutions in place. This includes low automationsolutions for the production of 2,500 metalhandles per hour, as well as high-outputproduction lines with over 7,000 metal handlesper hour, completely packed and placed ontopallets. The productivity and reliability thatUNIMAC offers is second to none thanks to 30years of experience with this equipment.

Especially for plastic-coated metal handles,Unimac’s product offerings allow for very fastcolor changes, the ability to produce two-color,

striped handles, as well as contrasting “grip feel”when making two-color handles. The metalhandle production line from Unimac can run avariety of metal coil thicknesses and qualities.This versatility allows customers to use the rawmaterials available in their markets.

Unimac is a name synonymous with qualityengineering and innovative equipment. Thishelps manufacturers produce better qualityproducts that are both more consistent and

more productive.Be sure to look at how, over three decades of

building automation can benefit your company.Consider Unimac for your next power brushmachine, handle manufacturing machine orcustom automation project.

Contact details for Unimac:Unimac s.r.l.

Via Cristoforo Colombo, 22Loc. Cavazzona

41013 Castelfranco Emilia, MO, ItalyPhone: +39 (059) 932664

Fax: +39 (059) 932633E-mail: [email protected]: www.unimac.it.

Contact: Mr. Vanes Villani – President

For Machinery Sales for the USA &Canada, contact:

Bodam International Ltd.903 Cirelli Court

Aberdeen, MD 21001 USAPhone: +1-410-272-9797Fax: +1-410-272-0799

E-mail: [email protected]: www.bodam.com.

MIN I-SECTORMACHINE (left) &Brushes (right): A fully automaticma ch ine develo -p ed by Uni mac isthe “Mini-Sec -tor.” It’s design -ed for the fullyauto mat ed prod -uc tion of smallpo w er brushes.

Quality metal handles are packaged in bags andexit the UNIMAC Metal Handle Production Line,ready to be palletized.

The UNIMAC Metal Han dleProduction Line pro ducesfinished, packed, pl a stic-coated metal hand les thatare ready for sh ipment. Rawmaterials go through 20 to30 meters of distance andare converted into thefinished product in less than1 minute.


The annual National Broom, Mop & Brush Meeting is scheduledfor November 19-20, 2015, in St. Louis, MO. The event will againtake place at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel.

Co-chairmen Kevin Monahan, of Monahan Partners, and DonLeventhal, of Newton Broom & Brush Company, have been workingto ensure all manufacturers, suppliers and trade press representingdifferent broom, mop, brush and related industries are invited.

“Don and I are very excited about this year’s guest speaker lineup aswell as the industry reports. We’ve alreadyreceived a healthy number of registrationsthat include some new faces,” Monahan said.“What makes this meeting so great is theefficiency. There’s an opportunity to see andmeet with many current and potentialcustomers/suppliers in one location, and havea meeting that is both rich in content andbrief.”

The event will begin on Thursday,November 19 with registration from 4 to 6p.m., a reception/social hour from 5 to 6 p.m. and dinner starting at 6 p.m.

The main program will take place on Friday, November 20,starting with a breakfast buffet at 7:30 a.m. The meeting portion ofthe event begins around 8:30 a.m. with opening remarks, to befollowed by guest speaker George Herrera, of The MissionContinues, which is an organization that serves returning militaryveterans. His topic will be, “Re-deploying Veterans In TheCommunity.”

Other guest speakers during the meeting will be Bill Donohue, ofRR Donnelly, and Dawn Smith, of UPS Logistics. They will speak on

“Identifying Freight Savings.” Also giving a presentation during the meeting will be Don

Leventhal, who will discuss “Changes In The Broom Industry: HowThe Industry Evolved.”

In addition to the guest speakers, there will be industry reportsfrom various professionals on broom corn, tampico and palmyrafiber; plastic filaments; wood, metal and fiberglass handles; mopyarn; wire; packaging; and a foreign exchange update. The meeting is

expected to be completed by noon. The early bird registration fee and a

discounted hotel rate are both available untilOctober 28. Those planning to spend thenight at the hotel should state that they arewith the National Broom, Mop & BrushMeeting to receive a special room rate of$109. Hotel reservations can be made byphone at 314-429-1100 or online.

The Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotelis located at 9804 Natural Bridge Road, St.

Louis MO 63134. The hotel is adjacent to Lambert-St. LouisInternational Airport. A complimentary shuttle service is availablebetween the airport and hotel.

Conference pre-registration is requested to ensure proper planning.The 2015 conference registration fee is $150 per attendee. Lateregistration after October 28 or on-site is $175 (check or cash only).

For more information, contact co-chairs Kevin Monahan at [email protected] or

Don Leventhal at [email protected].

Annual National Broom, Mop & Brush Meeting Scheduled For November 19-20 In St. Louis

Monahan Partners, of Arcola, IL, hasannounced the winners of its fourth annualNational Craft Broom Competition, held duringSeptember’s 2015 Arcola Broom Corn Festival.The competition was sponsored by the company,and entries came from the nation’s craft broommakers.

Brooms were judged on aesthetics andcraftsmanship. The brooms had to be made of 100percent broom corn as well as being functional.Handles were the craft broom maker’s choice.

All brooms were on display in the festival tent,and provided good examples of a 100-year-oldcraft still in use today. A total of $1,000 in prizemoney was awarded to the top three finishers:$500 for first place, $300 for second place, and$200 for third place. Two local artists and a broommaker judged 17 entries.

This year’s winning broom came from HenryTschetter of Rockford, MI. The second placewinner was Shawn Hoefer, and the third placewinner was Arjuna Larson, both of MountainView, AR. Three brooms received honorablemention. They were from Radharani Larson,Chris Robbins and Jerry Lovenstein.

Radharani Larson’s broom also won thePeople’s Choice Award, with over 300 votes castamong festival attendees who visited the festivalBroom Tent.

Monahan Partners Awards Winners Of 2015 Craft Broom Competition

Shown, left to right, are honorable mentionwinners of the National Craft BroomCompetition. They are: “All Twisted Up”natural and dyed broom corn hand tied on atwisted natural handle, by Chris Robbins; fulllength stalk plait kitchen style broom, byRadharani Larson; and “Sassafras Spirit”fireside sweep with needle woven design, byJerry Lovenstein.

Co-Chair Kevin Monahan Co-Chair Don Leventhal

Shown, left to right, are the three winningbrooms of the National Craft BroomCompetition: First place, broom corn woven oncherry handle, by Henry Tschetter; secondplace, dark parlor broom with medium plait andsanded stitching, by Shawn Hoefer; and thirdplace, hearth broom on hand forged treble clefiron handle, by Arjuna Larson.


MOP MANUFACTURERSSEE STABLE COTTON PRICES

By Rick Mullen | Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor

With an emphasis on the floor cleaning industry, JonesCompanies, Ltd. (JCL), of Humboldt, TN, is one of the largestproducers of mop yarns made with recycled post-industrial and

post-consumer fiber.Founded in 1936, JCL also supplies yarns and products for other industries.

The products engineered for floor cleaning include antimicrobial, rayonblends, cotton blends and cellulose/synthetic blend yarns. JCL manufacturesproprietary blend yarns to meet a customer’s application needs,from wet mops to high twist dust mops.

Business at JCL in 2015 overall has been sluggish, with somehigh and low periods, said JCL Vice President of SalesAndrew Dailey.

“The economy is not anything to get excited about,” Daileysaid. “At one point, it feels like we have crested and are goingto break through, then two weeks later we are back saying,‘Where did it go? What happened?’

“One factor that has had an impact the past year in theglobal marketplace is the strength of the U.S. dollar. When theU.S. dollar is as strong as it is today, it creates issues. I point to our closestneighbor and ally, Canada, and the impact the strong U.S. dollar has had onthe Canadian marketplace — it has hurt them.

“One U.S. dollar is equivalent to $1.32 Canadian. Another way to thinkof that is, a Canadian dollar is worth only 76 cents in U.S. currency.Therefore, if a Canadian manufacturer wants to buy raw materials from theUnited States, it will pay about 30 percent more than it did two years ago.

“As far as the global raw material supply goes, most people look atcotton and rightly so. I don’t have the exact numbers of what the U.S. cropwill look like this year, but in general terms, pricing globally has remainedvery stable. We have returned to some normalcy from when, in 2011/2012,cotton reached the highest price per pound since the Civil War.”

In 2015, JCL launched an initiative to realign job tasks andresponsibilities to improve plant management and to streamline sales andcustomer service.

“We have two sides of our operation, the yarn spinning business and thenon-wovens business,” Dailey explained. “Part of this restructure oforganizational responsibilities brought full-time engineering access to theyarn spinning side (the floorcare side of the company). In the past, weutilized some outside sources for engineering.”

One of JCL’s ongoing goals is to help keep mop manufacturing onshore,in the face of competition from imports.

“I think there is a reshoring movement that is occurring across all markets

and not just our industry,” Dailey said. “It has to do with quality. It has to dowith being able to respond more quickly to customer needs and their desireto improve inventory turns. Businesses are beginning to better understandthe ‘total cost of ownership’ model and not solely make purchasingdecisions on initial price quotations.

“There is a demand for quality and service. There is always going to be ademand for value. If U.S. manufacturers are able to focus on value asopposed to a simple cost, it will bring reshoring to the forefront. It is thetotal cost of acquisition that U.S. manufacturers are beginning to understand.It is not just the penny price, but rather it is the total cost of acquisition. Thisis the competitive advantage that domestic made products have overimports.”

“Over the years, JCL has established a reputation as an innovativecompany,” Dailey said.

One JCL innovation is the nWET (nonwoven edge trim) fabric yarnproduct. nWET is an alternative material that meets or exceeds theperformance requirements of conventional economy spun yarns. The material

is a blend of rayon and polyester, with a soft texture similar tothe nonwoven fabric found in baby wipes, according to JCL.

As an alternative to cotton mops, nWET fabric yarn wasdesigned for limited-use applications in the marketplace, wherethe mop is used a specific number of times and then discarded.

“The nWET product is designed to be used when there is amessy cleanup that gets the tool so dirty the user will want tothrow it away when the job is completed,” Dailey said.“nWET provides superior performance. The product’sabsorption levels are multiples of a standard cotton product.For example, a standard cotton product may be in the 200

percent absorption range, whereas the nWET is in the 700 percent range. Itperforms extremely well. Additionally, the engineering of the fabric stripsallow less raw material weight to be used to produce an equitable sizeproduct as similar standard cotton yarn mop.”

One application where an nWET mop might be used, Dailey said, wouldbe to clean a stadium following a college or professional football game.

“After a game, there are typically syrupy soft drinks, popcorn, peanuts,etc., to clean,” Dailey said. “When a touchdown is scored, it is not unusualto see spills occur — it’s just a mess. This kind of situation is where thenWET product works very well. It does a very good job, and the product canbe disposed of once it is used.”

Another innovative JCL product offering is its NEXT GENERATION lineof carpet bonnets, microfiber cloths, microfiber tube wet mops and mitts. Thisgroup of items was originally launched as part of the company’s strategy toinclude a multi-faceted approach targeting innovative, value-added andperformance tested products.

“We continue to search for products that fit with the NEXT GENERATIONline,” Dailey said.

Speaking on what might be ahead for his company, Dailey said, “We aregoing to continue to drive and manage our business to be as efficient aspossible. In our industry, the innovation of existing products has possiblytaken a back seat to product line expansion. Mop and broom manufacturersare adding products, such as wet floor signs, carts, trolleys, etc., to their

Executives from two companies that supply yarn and knit mesh to the mopindustry recently shared with Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine how their

respective companies are faring in today’s marketplace.These industry professionals also outlined how their respective

companies are bringing innovative products and ideas to customers andthe industry in general.

JONES COMPANIES, LTD

Andrew Dailey


traditional product offerings. There is a lot of expansion in the marketplacealong these lines, but not as much innovation to traditional mops and brooms.

“For example, it has taken time for the marketplace to recognize ournWET material. Now, we need to look at how to innovate that product,whether with a different look, and/or a different color, a different format, etc.— how to bring the same innovative component to that product to developits next generation.

“Apple is currently launching the iPhone 6, and people are looking aheadto the iPhone 7 — we need to be looking at nWET2.”

Contact: Jones Companies, Ltd., P.O. Box 367, 312 S. 14th Ave., Humboldt, TN 38343.

Phone: 800-238-8334.Website: www.jonesyarn.com.

Email: [email protected].

Serving manufacturers in the United States, Canada and Europe, JasonMills, LLC, of Milltown, NJ, produces knit mesh for the mopindustry. The company also manufactures and distributes various

fabrics and textiles for industries that include the military, healthcare,personal safety apparel and many commercial end uses.

The knit textiles business has been very good,” said Jason MillsPresident/owner Michael Lavroff. “We are poised to see another increasein total sales this year.”

For the mop segment, Jason Mills offers the 5-inch harness or saddle thatgoes on the base of a mop. The company sells 5-, 1 1/4- and 1 3/4-inch meshfabric. The company’s fabric is consistently about 3.5 – 4.5 ounces persquare yard, depending upon the style. The mesh is the abrasive part of themop. It is run to a crisp finish, and it serves to encircle the sponge and createan abrasive fabric. The company primarily services the OEM andmanufacturing market.

“We are continuing to hone and improve the existing materials that wesupply to the wet mop industry,” Lavroff said. “We haveour standard 250. It is made of predominately 250 denierpolyester, and a small amount of 150 denier polyester. Wecontinue to sell a nylon that is very abrasive, and that seemsto work very well. It is basically the same material as thepoly-style 250, but is made of all 200 denier nylon with acrisp hand. This product has been selling very well. We sellthis material to many institutions.

“We are also working on an adjusted version of thisnylon. It is essentially the same knit fibers except that it isknitted tighter to make a heavier product. This material isprimarily designed for squeegees.”

A fourth version of the abrasive nylon material thecompany sells to the wet mop industry is basically thesame type of mesh used for baseball caps, with the knittingadjusted to be tighter. The material is more of a coveringthan a mesh, Lavroff explained.

“Nearly all of the baseball cap industry has movedoffshore,” he said. “We found another use for this material bytightening it up just a bit, and it is a super-looking product.

“It takes a combination of the proper filaments, theproper deniers and the proper yarn luster to get the perfectproduct. We are out there in the industry with these fouritems.”

Lavroff describes Jason Mills as a conver ter/manufactureras it controls every aspect of the production cycle, beginningwith the yarn purchase. The company also contracts thelabor for knitting. Both the knitting and the finish must meetstringent quality standards.

“It is a good marketing position. We have internalchecks and balances,” Lavroff said. “We always stress, toour accounts, the best thing to do is place a blanket order.

If you know you are going to be using X number of yards per month, giveme an order for a year. It makes life much simpler. This way, we are alwaysahead of the game by a couple of months. The product is on the shelf, and,at the proper time, out the door it goes.”

Recently, Jason Mills implemented an in-house standard similar to whatwould be required for ISO certification.

“We created our own set of flow charts akin to what ISO would ask for,”Lavroff said. “We have honed and codified our sets of procedures, from yarnpurchasing, to knitting specifications, to the all-important dye and finishing.There are essentially three components that make up any knit fabric: yarn,knitting and dye/finishing, putting these elements together as one. Each hasequal weight. For the yarn, we make sure to have the correct filaments, yarnlusters and strength characteristics. With the knitting process, everythingmust be exactly as it was the time before. For dyeing and finishing, colorsand the hand must be consistent. In this industry, the hand is all-important. Ifthe fabric finish is too soft, it will not work and it can create fabric rejection.We have created flow charts to deal with each one of these processes.”

One free trade agreement still in the works that concerns Lavroff andothers in the textile industry is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).Countries that are participating in crafting the TPP, in addition to the UnitedStates, are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand,Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, according to www.ustr.gov/tpp.

The major bone of contention between the industry and what is proposedin the TPP is changing “the rule of yarn” from the current “yarn forward” to“fabric forward.”

As Lavroff explained in a previous interview, the yarn forward rule isapplicable to all free trade agreements, including NAFTA (North American FreeTrade Agreement), CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement), KORUS(United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement), etc. Yarn forward means, to meetthe standard, the yarn must originate in one of the signing countries.

Vietnam has one of the world’s largest textile companies, Vinatex (TheVietnam National Textile and Garment Group), that is supported by the

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Vietnamese government. The big neighbor of Vietnam to the north is China.China is the world’s largest manufacturer of polyester filaments and yarn.With the “fabric forward” rule, products made in China could be usheredthrough Vietnam, which could upset the entire balance of things.

“The TPP is still a work in progress. We will have to see how things workout,” Lavroff said. “The Industrial Fabric Association International (IFAI)and the United State Industrial Fabric Institute (USIFI) are closely affiliated.I believe both organizations, while not being outright against the TPP, arevery concerned about Vietnam’s continued insistence on changing the ruleof yarn, which would be very bad for domestic manufacturers.”

Another issue that Lavroff sees as a negative for the industry is what he calls“commodification,” a tactic that Jason Mills rejects outright. Commodificationinvolves cutting costs by producing products with cheaper material.

“Commodification is tough to fight,” Lavroff said. “We continue toinsist that if customers stick with products that work, they are betteroff. The products we offer are time-tested. I will put our quality products upagainst anyone else in the market.

“It all cycles back to understanding yarn, understanding what the filamentcount needs to be, and where deniers need to be. If a company understandsthese things, it understands the key to the textile. If not, a company is operatingwilly-nilly, most likely throwing inferior products out on the market.”

When it comes to raw materials that Jason Mills uses, Lavroff reportedpricing for polyester and nylon is relatively stable, and there have been nodelivery issues with yarn.

“Going forward, hopefully the economy will continue to move in anupward direction,” Lavroff said. “I know it is very early on, but I amwatching the (presidential) candidates. Much depends on who comes in nextand what his or her fiscal policies are going to be.”

Contact: Jason Mills, LLC, 440 S. Main St., Milltown, NJ 08850. Phone: 732-651-7200. E-mail: mike@jasonmills .com.

Website: www.jasonmills.com.

American Select Tubing Offers Two-Color, Powder Coated Handles

American Select Tubing announces the launch of its line of two-color,powder coated handles.

“Because of the difficulty of making a broom, mop or rake handle thatgrabs a customer's attention, we started looking for ways of making a handlestand out when placed with other handles in a display,” said American SelectTubing General Manager Mark Maninfior. “We have developed an ‘eye-catching’ powder coated handle painted with two colors, with one colorfading into the other.”

American Select Tubing emphasizes flexibility in its manufacturing processes, aswell as offering short lead times and small minimum order quantities.

“Our processes aredesigned to be very fle xible,and that flexibility hasallowed us to use any colorcombination for the two-color handles,” Man infiorsaid. “There are somelimitations on where onecolor trans itions to anotheron the tube, but even thathas a wide range offlexibility. We have tr iedthis process on all of ourdiameters and have beensuccessful on each one.”

American Select Tubing, of Mattoon, IL, manufactures full-hard steel tubingin diameters of 21 millimeters, 22 mm, 15/16 inch, 1 inch and 1 1/8 inches.

The company’s handle offerings are about 75 percent powder coated and25 percent plastic coated. The company also offers wood grain plasticcoating. Visit www.astubing.com, for more information.

Sales manager Dustin Maninfior with two-colorpowder coated handles.

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Since opening its doors for business in May 2013, American SelectTubing, of Mattoon, IL, has enjoyed continual growth, specializingin the manufacture and sale of metal handles to the mop, broom and

brush industry. The company also sells to the lawn and garden industry.As the past two winters, in much of the country, have been cold and snowy,

sales of snow shovel handles have been an ongoing plus for the company.“We generally make snow shovel handles from May through October, but

this year, customers never stopped wanting them. We have been makingthem all year,” said American Select Tubing General Manager MarkManinfior. “Overall, business is good. We are coming out with new items.Our new extension handle line is currently in production, and it is goingover well. We have also developed a two-color painting process to highlightthe handle. Business has picked up quite a bit over last year.”

American Select Tubing manufactures full-hard steel tubing in diametersof 22 millimeters, 15/16 inch and 1 inch. Last year, the company added 21mm and 1 1/8 inch diameter tubing. The company’s handle offerings areabout 75 percent powder coated and 25 percent plastic coated. The companyalso offers wood grain plastic coating.

“We have hired 10 people the past year,” Maninfior said. “We have about50 employees. Our sales have gone up considerably as we keep addingcustomers. It all looks good.”

In addition to snow shovels, American Select Tubing’s handles are usedfor such products as push brooms, household brooms (lightweight andheavyweight), and rakes. A variety of end-fitments and metal threads arealso offered.

Housed in a 240,000-square-foot facility, American Select Tubing hasbeen growing its in-house injection molding operation the past couple ofyears to be able to offer customers more variety.

“Our injection molding operation is going real well, and we are lookingto add capacity, probably before the end of the year,” Maninfior said. “InAugust, we brought in-house the last of our molds that we were having doneoutside. Now, everything is run in-house with the exception of one item.”

One of the key elements the young company was founded upon isflexibility. This involves short lead times and offering small minimum orderquantities. American Select Tubing’s handle-stocking program allows for, insome cases, an order to be turned around in a day or two.

“We have had more customers take advantage of our handle stockingprogram, and that has worked out real well,” Maninfior said. “The programallows us to manage our inventory and get efficiencies on our productionvolumes. Furthermore, customers can rely on handles being available to

them immediately. Many of our customers have taken advantage of thehandle stocking program.

“Our flexibility has paid off, especially last winter when we hadcustomers in nearly crisis situations needing snow shovel handles. Someneeded truckloads of handles with a day or two notice, and, because of ourflexibility, we were able to deliver the handles to them.”

While American Select Tubing’s growth in its nearly 2 1/2-yearsexistence has been steadily upward, the company continues to seek businessin markets other than the mop, broom and brush segment that utilize full-hard tubes, Maninfior said.

“There is also the challenge of overseas competition, including China,”he said “We have low-cost steel and so do they. We can offer service thatoverseas companies cannot, with our flexibility, short lead times and smallorder quantities.

“We have been focusing on developing ways to make a handle stand out,and this is where our two-color painting process comes in. We have alsodone some things with clear coating to improve the appearance of the tubes.Sometimes it is hard to make a broom handle interesting, but we have donethat with our two-color process. It is really ‘eye-catching.’ We have

developed quite a bit of interest in this line.”Maninfior also spoke of a recent trend of

some companies in the brush, broom and mopsegments using thinner materials for handles.Such is not the case at American Select Tubing.

“There are companies offering handles in the.009 inch to .010 inch thickness range. We justdon’t go down that thin,” Maninfior said. “We aretrying to push for the industry to move toward athicker material to reduce the risk of handlesbreaking. We don’t get a lot of requests for the

thinner diameter tubes. We have been able to convince some customers tomodify their specifications to a thicker material.”

In its manufacturing operation, American Select Tubing uses such rawmaterials as steel, plastic resins and powder paints. Last year at this time,Maninfior said there was talk about steel prices shooting upward. However,the anticipated hike did not take place.

“Currently, steel prices are low. They seem to be bouncing along thebottom,” Maninfior said. “This time last year it was anticipated thatsteel prices were going way up, and that just never happened. Also,resin prices have fallen quite a bit since this time last year.”

When American Select Tubing first opened for business, it was fortunateto be able to have an experienced workforce in place. The company pickedup many employees when another handle business shut down. According tocompany officials, its workforce has more than 300 years of combinedexperience in the manufacture of metal broom handles.

While American Select Tubing has been hiring new employees since itsinception, finding qualified people has been a challenge.

“The challenge to hire good, qualified people is one that is shared bysome other companies in our area,” Maninfior said. “In our efforts to findemployees, we work with a local community college (Lake Land College).American Select Tubing is owned by AF-Holdings, which owns Agri-Fab®,

HANDLE, BLOCK MAKERSSEE INCREASED SALES


Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine recently spoke with executives from sixsuppliers of blocks and handles to the brush, mop and broom industry

who shared how their companies are navigating today’s marketplace, bothdomestically and in foreign countries.

The executives discussed such issues as raw material availability,pricing and the impact of the strong U.S. dollar against foreign currencies.

AMERICAN SELECT TUBING

Mark Maninfior


Inc. in Sullivan, IL. We also utilize their resources to find people. In somecases, we use temporary employees. We have had some temporary peoplewho have worked out very well, and we have put them on full time.

“I feel next year looks pretty good. There hasn’t been a month go by thatwe haven’t added at least two customers. I look for sales to continue to grow.”

Contact: American Select Tubing, 4005 Devitt Ave., Mattoon, IL 61938.

Phone: 217-234-7300.Email: [email protected]: www.astubing.com.

PelRay International, LLC, of San Antonio, Tx, servesmanufacturers of brooms, brushes and mops worldwide. Thecompany sources supplies from five continents to provide wood

handles, made from hardwood and pine, and metal handles that are powderpainted and plastic coated. PelRay also offers mop and brush hardware andmop yarns.

“Business has been pretty good,” said PelRay CFO Bart Pelton. “Therewere a few slow months during the winter, but sales are strong now.”

The primary hardwood PelRay supplies is poplar, grown in the UnitedStates. Many customers like poplar because handles made with thishardwood are smooth, straight and of high quality. Also, transit times areshort because it is sourced domestically, Pelton said.

“We haven’t been able to get as much poplar as last year,” Peltonsaid. “Prices have increased and we have had to go to a higher grade oflumber to make our poplar handles. I’m still very pleased with thequality of poplar that we are selling. More of the poplar wood is goinginto markets that are able to pay a little more than the broom handle market.

“We are not getting any bargains with poplar. Meanwhile, pine prices are

soft at the moment. Availability of pine handles is improving, both withdomestic southern yellow pine and imported pine.”

PelRay also sources tauari, a hardwood from Brazil, for which thedemand has been “fairly steady,” Pelton said. “There are some people whoprefer tauari to poplar because it is heavier. Likewise, there are others wholike poplar because of the lighter color. Poplar is strong enough for manyapplications in the industry. Tauari mills are doing a good job of shipping ontime and the supply is steady.

“We are getting some eucalyptus from Brazil, but we are going to theheavier tauari these days. There is not as much eucalyptus in thepipeline as tauari, and the drying times are fairly long. There is anadvantage with eucalyptus in that it is all plantation grown and it is certified.However, tauari is the industry standard hardwood at this time.”

PelRay imports metal handles from Italy and Mexico.Pelton pointed out, “We warehouse them in San Antonio for prompt

shipment.”PelRay moved into a new warehouse facility three years ago that is 33

percent larger than its old one. This has allowed the company to increase theamount of inventory it holds for customers.

Because PelRay deals in imports, Pelton keeps close watch on currencyexchange rates, especially how the U.S. dollar compares to the euro,Mexican peso and Brazilian real. Currently, the U.S. dollar is relativelystrong against both the euro and real.

“The euro is trading around 1.13 to a dollar, so Italian metal handles arevery competitive at the moment,” Pelton said. “The real has been weak. It iscurrently trading at 3.88 to a dollar. Unfortunately, much of what we havegained on the exchange rate has gone to offset domestic inflation in Brazil.One would think there would be real bargains on tauari right now. You canoccasionally get a little better price, but it is not as dramatic as what onemight think.”

Since the West Coast port workers strike was settled in February of this

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year, ocean freight costs have been more reasonable, Pelton said.“The West Coast dock workers strike was just a horrible situation,”

Pelton said. “It sent a lot of companies scrambling. During the worst ofit, we had containers delayed four to five weeks. Now, the situation on theWest Coast seems to have returned to normal. We are not running intounusual delays. If there is a delay, it is a matter of days and not weeks.”

Custom examinations are also a source of delays, which, in some cases,can drive up costs.

“We haven’t had as many containers examined this year as we didlast year,” Pelton said. “Examinations still happen occasionally, but the

frequency seems to have come down.”PelRay also supplies broom corn, most of

which comes from Mexico, to the corn broomand craft broom industries.

“Demand for broom corn is much less in theUnited States than it used to be,” Pelton said.“Broom corn imports are averaging around 30 to50 tons a month. The new crop was adisappointment. The Cadereyta growing areagot hit with too much rain. As a result, growerscould not get the broom corn in the ground. In

the Torreon region, where the bulk of the broom corn is grown, farmerssuffered from an infestation of aphids. They lost about 200,000 acres ofcrops, and not just broom corn, but also some of the sorghum and sweet cornthey were growing for cattle feed and other uses. It was a disaster.

“The only saving grace for us was there was a good supply of broom cornleft over from the previous year. Currently, there is almost no broom cornbeing processed in Mexico. Pretty much all the processors are closed orare not processing, because there is little broom corn available.Furthermore, what is available is going at a fairly high price. In manycases, when processors do buy raw broom corn, they resell it to Mexicanbroom factories, rather than keeping it and processing it for U.S. markets.

“Normally, they would make more money by processing the broom corn,

but now processors can realize more profit selling it as raw broom corn.”One ongoing challenge PelRay has dealt with is keeping the right amount

of inventory on hand for customers.“It is not so bad now with pine because the flow of products is pretty

good,” Pelton said. “Broom corn is going to get a little trickier as we goforward. Also, lead times for tampico are still too long. Inventory is alwaysa challenge.”

Looking ahead, Pelton predicts the strong U.S. dollar will make importscheaper, which will be a challenge to domestic manufacturers.

“Business is slow in many other countries. Who is still buying? It is oftenAmericans because the strong U.S. dollar fetches more,” Pelton said. “Wewent for a few years where we were bringing some manufacturing back tothis country. The import competition is going to be a little tougher thiscoming year, or at least until the dollar quits appreciating so much.

“The appreciation of the U.S. dollar is a two-edged sword. In many casesit means lower raw material costs for the manufacturers, which is good.Meanwhile, because of competition, some of that savings must be used toreduce selling prices to hang onto market share. It kind of works both ways.For those exporting, it becomes more difficult because U.S. dollar productsare more expensive in Mexico, Canada, Europe and elsewhere.”

Contact: PelRay International, LLC, 4511 Macro Drive, San Antonio, TX 78218.

Phone: 210-757-4640; Toll Free: 800-315-2827. Website: www.pelray.com.

Business at the Whitley Monahan Handle Co., of Midland, NC,which is a partnership between The Whitley Handle Company andThe Thomas Monahan Company, of Arcola, IL, has been good, said

Whitley Monahan Handle Co. Sales Manager Jim Monahan.“We are a little bit ahead of last year, with no price increases — which is good

news,” Monahan said. “Business has been good and raw materials are plentiful.”

WHITLEY MONAHAN HANDLE CO.

Bart Pelton

Whitley Monahan sources hardwoods from Brazil, which is the leadingsource of tauari hardwood to U.S. handle makers.

“Prices of most of our other raw materials, including paints, have stayedfairly stable,” Monahan said. “Health insurance continues to go up and weare keeping an eye on those costs. In general, the cost of health care thesedays is going up 10 to 15 percent a year, which is a concern.”

Whitley Monahan also imports pine, a softwood, from Honduras.Monahan said this market has remained stable for many years, both forpricing and availability.

“The supply of pine from Honduras has been flowing pretty well,”Monahan said. “So far, the rainy season has been fairly dry in Honduras,so they have not suffered a slowdown in cutting the logs and transportingthem out of the forest. We are sure the rains are coming sooner or later.”

The company also deals in domestic woods,the availability of which is “a little strained” atthis time, Monahan said.

“The availability of domestic woods hasdwindled, because housing starts have pickedup considerably due to low interest rates,” hesaid. “Housing starts in certain parts of thecountry have bounced back since the recessionyears. In general, the economy is better.Unemployment is down and mortgage rates arestaying the same.

“I have read that there are shortages of available housing. As a result, newconstruction has picked up and that has certainly put a lot more pressure ondomestic woods. The housing construction industry can pay a lot more fortheir raw material than we can in the handle business. We are not seeingmuch scrap or boards that we can cut into dowels and make handles out ofand still come out ahead financially.”

Despite issues with the domestic wood marketplace, Whitley Monahan isable to offer quick turnaround times and supply small quantity orders.Serving customers who want specialized handles or packaging is also oneof the company’s strengths.

“With our domestic production, we are quick to react to customers whenthey need handles immediately,” Monahan said. “We continue to implementprograms that will consistently improve our quality. We are stressing qualityand service, and will continue to do this in 2016.”

Whitley Monahan works with customers and maintains a stock so theycan pull from that stock against a blanket order. This program helps infacilitating quick turnaround times, Monahan said.

In addition, the company makes an effort to highlight the advantages ofthe domestic supply for “Made in the USA” products. Although it may costmore, dealing in the domestic market means less in carrying charges and,likely, fewer quality issues, Monahan said.

As it imports raw materials from Brazil, Whitley Monahan keeps watchon the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the Brazilian real.Because of political strife in Brazil, in addition to high inflation andincreasing labor costs, the U.S. dollar has strengthened against the real.

A recent story on the Forbes Magazine website, www.forbes.com,indicated the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the real had rangedfrom a low of 2.37733 to a high of 4.05816 from Sept. 22, 2014, to Sept. 22,2015, with the real falling by a little more than 41 percent during that period.

“Brazil also has some inflation problems and labor costs in Brazil haveescalated,” Monahan said. “Brazil is one of the economies being watched onthe world stage. Inflation in Brazil is fairly high, so that is of concern.Nonetheless, we have seen stable pricing out of Brazil.”

Monahan said freight costs have remained stable, and with thedecrease in diesel prices, ocean freight costs have come down somewhat.

“We are a little bit ahead of last year and optimistic we will finish 2015on a good note,” Monahan said.

Contact: The Thomas Monahan Company, 202 N. Oak, P.O. Box 250, Arcola, IL 61910.

Phone: 217-268-4955; Toll Free: 800-637-7739. Website: www.thomasmonahan.com.

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Amerwood Executive Reports On Honduran Pine

While Whitley Monahan primarily sources its hardwoods out ofBrazil, as well as some domestically, Honduras supplies much ofthe company’s pine, a softwood, also used in making handles.

Amerwood, of Evant, Tx, deals in the Honduran pine market.Honduran pine produces strong, straight handles, similar to southern

yellow pine found in the United States. Honduran pine is grown in themountainous regions of the country.

“Business has been better this year, compared to 2014,” said AmerwoodDivision Manager Wayne Pringle. “I don’t know if it is because somepeople are using less hardwood, or others are using more pine. We have had aconsiderable increase in shipments of pine this year as opposed to last year.”

Pringle reported the current supply of pine from Honduras is good, and hedoesn’t see that supply outlook changing in thenear future. Currently, it is the rainy season inHonduras, which typically can cause loggingissues due to the wet conditions and muddyroads.

“While many Honduran suppliers use dryingkilns, which cuts down on drying time, somestill rely on the air drying method for woodensquares, before the squares are put through adowel machine,” he said. “This process slowsdown during the rainy season.”

Fortunately the rainy season this year, which typically runs from June toNovember, has been unusually dry.

“The rainy season hasn’t been as bad this year, so we are lookinggood as far as production. However, there are still three months to go,”

Pringle said.When a mill squares up a log, Pringle explained, Amerwood obtains the

byproducts. However, finding lumber to make 54-inch lengths and abovecan be difficult.

“It is still a struggle. We would have more orders for 54- and 60-inchlengths if we could get the right lumber,” Pringle said. “We have increasedslightly over last year in those sizes, but people are still using plenty ofhardwood.”

Pringle reported that because of lower fuel prices, there has not beenpressure to raise freight costs.

“As long as fuel prices are down, I don’t see freight costs being a bigproblem,” he said. “Looking ahead, I think business is going to be good.There is a demand for pine. As long as we keep prices down and remaincompetitive to hardwood, I think we will be in good shape.”

Contact: Amerwood, 801 CR2943, Evant, TX 76525. Phone: 800-442-6353. Email: [email protected].

Business at Zelazoski Wood Products, for most of the year, has beengoing “gangbusters,” said Secretary Ben Zelazoski, but has sloweddown during the past couple of months.

Located in Antigo, WI, ZWP has been in business since 1928, supplyingblocks to the brush and broom industry. The company also offers variousother wood items including cutlery racks, furniture parts, special woodenparts, baseball bats, game calls, fishing lure bodies and the occasional farmrelated item.

Also, in recent years, ZWP has strived to continue to increase sales andhas branched out to machining plastics; imprinting, such as hot stampingand branding; laser engraving; and offering finishes, such as tinted lacquerand stains.

“From February until the first week of August, we couldn’t get things outquickly enough,” Zelazoski said. “We kind of got hit with the perfect storm.”

Zelazoski explained the “perfect storm” was a large quantity of orders forspecialty items, and not so much due to an increase in the brush block side ofthe business. However, before the West Coast dock workers strike was settledin late February of this year, ZWP gained some block business from companieswho couldn’t wait any longer for their orders to arrive from overseas.

“In August, business began to slack off, and now we are back to workingshort hours again,” Zelazoski said. “Looking around, we are not the onlyones. However, I remain optimistic that things will turn around.”

Because of its location in northern Wisconsin, about 70 miles northwestof Green Bay, ZWP has traditionally been able to source much of thehardwoods it uses from upper Midwest forests. ZWP uses primarily beechwood to make blocks for brushes and brooms.

“We are having trouble getting lumber,” Zelazoski said. “We use alot of beech. People have found out in other industries, such as thecabinet industry, that beech is a pretty wood. As a result, they are usingit for furniture, cabinets and similar applications. Because it is a lowerpriced wood, a lot of it has been used for railroad ties, crane matting, minetimbers, etc. It has kind of put a strain on things.

“Part of the problem has to do with all of the fires on the West Coast.Many federal government employees are involved in fighting the fires.Therefore, they are not able to go through the national forests and mark outplaces for timber cutting. The shortage of supply has resulted in beechprices going up. However, we have been able to hold our price, but I don’tknow for how much longer.”

Zelazoski also reported that the price of oak has dropped somewhat, andthe price of maple has remained stable. ZWP also uses limited amounts ofwalnut and cherry wood.

“We try to stay away from exotic imported woods for various reasons. Wetry to use American grown woods,” Zelazoski said.

Although the majority of ZWP’s offerings are for the brush and broomindustry, Zelazoski explained the company is a “job shop” that alsospecializes in custom work.


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“Whatever type of wood a customer wants, we will get it,” he said.One new ZWP product that is doing well is its scraper for grills.“We make a scraper for gas and charcoal grills, which has taken off quite

well,” Zelazoski said. “There also seems to be renewed interest in some ofour fishing lures. None of this business takes the place of the brush industry,

which puts meat and potatoes on the table.”One of the specialty items ZWP makes are high

quality wooden baseball bats called RockBats. Inpast years, RockBats have been used by someMajor League Baseball (MLB) players, includingmembers of the Milwaukee Brewers andColorado Rockies. Because of the high cost ofcertification needed for the bats to be used byMLB players, ZWP quit supplying them to theseplayers. However, the company still makes andsells the high quality wooden RockBats.

“We are working with another company to fashion a different kind ofknob on the bat,” Zelazoski said. “Major League Baseball is steeped intradition. Players and managers don’t change. They are a very superstitiousbunch. To get any kind of change is pretty tough. The new knob is beingdesigned to be more ergonomically correct.”

Several years ago, ZWP and others involved in the wood industry incentral and northern Wisconsin launched a project to build the WoodTechnology Center of Excellence in Antigo. The purpose of the center is totrain and acclimate people to wood processing and to help provide skilledworkers in related fields.

The $3 million project, a joint effort with the wood industry, LangladeCounty and Northcentral Technical College, of Wausau, WI, received a $1.2million grant from the Federal Economic Development Administration.Ground was broken for the facility in the summer of 2010.

“The technology center is doing well,” Zelazoski said. “However,enrollment this year wasn’t quite what we had hoped. In the spring, manycompanies in this area, and pretty much the entire United States, seemed tobe busy. Therefore, there were a lot of jobs to be had, which hurt enrollment.However, students who are graduating are placing very well in the jobmarket. They are very skilled in all the aspects of lumber, from drying tomachining to selling, and they are doing very well.”

ZWP began as The Thomas Zelazoski Manufacturing Company in 1924in Antigo. The company manufactured mostly farm related items, and beganmaking blocks for the broom and brush industry in 1928.

In 1940, the company moved to a larger facility. While broom and brushblocks were the company’s main products by that time, it continued to makefarm related items, crutches, cutlery racks, furniture parts and other specialwooden products.

In 1958, the company became Zelazoski Wood Products, Inc., when itwas incorporated by Tom Zelazoski and his two sons, Clarence and Bernard.A new facility was opened in 1997, which allowed production to cometogether under one roof, as well as expanding warehouse space andcustomer services. Today, the company is owned by Tom Zelazoski’s fivegrandsons, who are all active in the business.

Contact: Zelazoski Wood Products, Inc., 835 Ninth Ave., P.O. Box 506, Antigo, WI 54409. Phone: 800-240-0974.

Email: [email protected]. Website: www.zwpi.com.

Michael Grossmann, of Northeast-Brazil, LLC, said business athis company has been “OK.” However, sales have slowed downslightly the past couple of months.

“This downturn is very unusual,” he said. “It is the first time in manyyears that this has been the case. I would like to think that the downturn isjust a blip that will be overcome soon. There doesn’t seem to be anystructural reason for it.”

Northeast-Brazil is based in both Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the United States.The company provides FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and non-FSCwooden handles, many of which are imported into the United States andused in mop and broom production.

Grossmann explained his company has no issues with availability ofsoftwood handles made with pine, as it is a reforested wood. Likewise, theavailability of tauari, a hardwood grown in Brazil, is fixed for years to comeas Malinski, the factory in Brazil Grossmannrepresents, has multi-year logging contracts.These contracts typically run for 20 to 30 years,he said. Legal Tauari is logged throughgovernment-sponsored management projects.

Currently, the wood harvest in Brazil isunderway. The harvest season typically runsfrom the latter part of May through October orNovember. The Brazilian rainy season normallyruns from about November through May andinto June.

The rainy season presents challenges to loggers as muddy roads and wetconditions make it difficult to get wood out of the tropical rain forests. Toensure continuity of delivery during the rainy season, Northeast-Brazil andMalinski have invested heavily in inventory.

When is comes to pricing, the current strong U.S. dollar against theBrazilian real is a factor.

“Pricing is always subject to external factors, whereas availability isoften not related to pricing. Availability is one thing — pricing isanother,” Grossmann said. “Prices have actually loosened, relative tothe strength of the dollar. Also, we have recently lowered prices.

“The dollar has gotten strong and Brazil has become politically andeconomically very volatile. Volatility doesn’t always mean a linear decline.There could be a sudden surge in the real, or not. One never knows.Volatility means ‘surprise.’”

Looking ahead, Grossmann reported Malinski is in the first stage of atwo-year project, building a new production facility in northern Brazil.

“The new facility should open in 2017, and will have the latest loggingand processing equipment available in the world. It is very exciting,”Grossmann said.

Contact: Northeast-Brazil, LLC, 144 W. 27th St., Suite 2F, New York, NY 10001.Phone: 917-842-5062.

Email: [email protected]: www.northeast-brazil.com.


NORTHEAST-BRAZIL, LLC

Ben Zelazoski

Michael Grossmann

Nexstep Purchases Southern Broom And Supply AssetsNexstep Commercial Products has purchased the assets of Southern Broom & Mop Company, in Nashville, TN, from its owner, James

Rollins. Southern Broom & Mop Company was a regional manufacturer of mopheads and mopsticks that carried an assortment of other cleaning

products such as brooms, brushes and handles. Southern Broom & Mop’s facility in Nashville was closed and consolidated into Nexstep’s facility in Paxton, IL. Todd Leventhal,

president of Nexstep Commercial Products, said the acquisition will strengthen Nexstep’s presence in the growing Sun Belt. “Nexstep looks forward to serving all of Southern Broom & Mop’s customers and offering them the opportunity to expand their product

assortment due to Nexstep’s broad product line,” said Leventhal.Visit www.ocedarcommercial.com for more information. Nexstep is the exclusive licensee of O-Cedar.

See you at theInterbrush 2016

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Europaplatz 179108 Freiburg i. Br., GermanyTel.: +49 761 3881 02

Fax: +49 761 3881 [email protected]

interbrush

April 27th to April 29th 2016

MESSE FREIBURG

International Trade Fair of Machines and Accessories for the Brush, Paintbrush, Paintroller and Mop Industries

www.interbrush.com

April 27th to April 29th 2016

U.S. government trade figures for the first half of 2015 indicate rawmaterial imports were up in two categories outlined: broom and mophandles and brush backs, compared to the first half of 2014. For June2015, broom and mop handles and brush backs were also up,compared to June 2014.

Import totals for the first half of 2015 were up in seven finishedgoods categories outlined: brushes of vegetable materials,toothbrushes, hairbrushes, shaving brushes, paint rollers, paintbrushesand upright brooms, compared to the first half of 2014. In June 2015,seven categories outlined recorded increases: brooms of broom cornvalued at more than 96 cents, brooms and brushes of vegetablematerial, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, paint rollers, paintbrushes andupright brooms, compared to June 2014.

Raw Material Imports

Hog BristleThe United States imported 14,659 kilograms of hog bristle in June

2015, down 37 percent from 23,101 kilograms imported in June 2014.During the first half of 2015, 120,948 kilograms of hog bristle wereimported, down 20 percent from 151,987 kilograms imported during thefirst half of 2014.

China sent 117,411 kilograms of hog bristle to the United States duringthe first half of 2015.

The average price per kilogram for June 2015 was $24.31, up 31percent from the average price per kilogram for June 2014 of $18.58. Theaverage price per kilogram for the first half of 2015 was $17.45, up 19percent from the average price per kilogram of $14.69 for the first half of2014.

Broom And Mop HandlesThe import total of broom and mop handles during June 2015 was 2.1

million, up 50 percent from 1.4 million for June 2014. During the firsthalf of 2015, 9.2 million broom and mop handles were imported, up 7percent from 8.6 million for the first half of 2014.

During the first half of 2015, the United States received 5.4 millionbroom and mop handles from Brazil, 1.8 million from Honduras and 1.4million from China.

The average price per handle for June 2015 was 96 cents, up 9 percentfrom 88 cents for June 2014. The average price for the first half of 2015was 96 cents, up 5 percent from 91 cents for the first half of 2014.

Brush BacksJune 2015 imports of brush backs totaled 812,710, up 66 percent from

490,857 for June 2014. During the first half of 2015, 3.3 million brushbacks were imported, up 3 percent from 3.2 million for the first half of2014.

Canada sent 1.7 million brush backs to the United States during thefirst half of 2015, while Sri Lanka shipped 1.1 million.

The average price per brush back was 48 cents during June 2015, up 9

percent from the average price for June 2014 of 44 cents. For the first halfof 2015, the average price per brush back was 46 cents, down 1 cent fromthe average price for the first half of 2014.

Metal HandlesThe import total of metal handles during June 2015 was 2.4 million,

down 27 percent from 3.3 million for June 2014. During the first half of2015, 13.5 million metal handles were imported, down 17 percent from16.2 million for the first half of 2014.

During the first half of 2015, Spain exported 5.9 million metal handlesto the United States, while China sent 5.7 million.

The average price per handle for June 2015 was $1.04, up 44 percentfrom 72 cents for June 2014. The average price for the first half of 2015was 97 cents, up 23 percent from the average price for the first half of2014 of 79 cents.

Finished Goods Imports

Brooms Of Broom CornValued At More Than 96 Cents

The United States imported 745,359 brooms of broom corn valued atmore than 96 cents per broom during June 2015, up 14 percent from651,474 for June 2014. During the first half of 2015, 3.7 million broomsof broom corn were imported, down 5 percent from 3.9 million for thefirst half of 2014.

Mexico shipped nearly all of the brooms to the United States duringthe first half of 2015.

The average price per broom for June 2015 was $2.55, up 2 percentfrom $2.51 for June 2014. The average price per broom for the first halfof 2015 was $2.57, up 2 percent from the average price for the first halfof 2014 of $2.51.

Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable MaterialThe import total of brooms and brushes of vegetable material during

June 2015 was 1.1 million, up significantly from 211,710 brooms andbrushes imported during June 2014. During the first half of 2015, 3.1million brooms and brushes were imported, up 182 percent from 1.1million for the first half of 2014.

Sri Lanka exported 1.1 million brooms and brushes to the UnitedStates during the first half of 2015, while Canada sent 905,427.

The average price per unit for June 2015 was 79 cents, down 52percent from the average price for June 2014 of $1.65. The average pricefor the first half of 2015 was 98 cents, down 40 percent from the averageprice recorded for the first half of 2014 of $1.63.

ToothbrushesThe United States imported 89.1 million toothbrushes in June 2015, up

10 percent from 81.1 million imported in June 2014. During the first halfof 2015, 505 million toothbrushes were imported, up 6 percent from477.3 million imported during the first half of 2014.

China sent 378.6 million toothbrushes to the United States during thefirst half of 2015.

The average price per toothbrush for June 2015 was 26 cents, up 2cents from the average price for June 2014. The average price for the firsthalf of 2015 was 25 cents, up 1 cent from the average price for the firsthalf of 2014.

HairbrushesJune 2015 imports of hairbrushes totaled 4.4 million, up 42 percent

from 3.1 million for June 2014. During the first half of 2015, 21.4 millionhairbrushes were imported, up 22 percent from 17.5 million for the firsthalf of 2014.

China shipped nearly all of the hairbrushes to the United States duringthe first half of 2015.

Imports/ExportsRAW MATERIAL IMPORTS MIXED, WHILEFINISHED GOODS IMPORTS AND EXPORTSUP FOR FIRST HALF OF 2015



The average price per hairbrush was 23 cents during June 2015, down21 percent from 29 cents for June 2014. For the first half of 2015, theaverage price per hairbrush was 26 cents, down 1 cent from the averageprice for the first half of 2014.

Shaving BrushesThe United States imported 4.9 million shaving brushes in June 2015,

down 64 percent from 13.6 million imported in June 2014. During thefirst half of 2015, 45.7 million shaving brushes were imported, up 2percent from 44.9 million imported during the first half of 2014.

Germany sent 21.2 million shaving brushes to the United States duringthe first half of 2015, while China shipped 18.5 million.

The average price per shaving brush for June 2015 was 10 cents, up 43percent from the average price for June 2014 of 7 cents. The average pricefor the first half of 2015 was 10 cents, down 1 cent from the average pricefor the first half of 2014.

Paint RollersThe import total of paint rollers during June 2015 was 7 million, up 59

percent from 4.4 million recorded for June 2014. During the first half of2015, 34.9 million paint rollers were imported, up 38 percent from 25.3million during the first half of 2014.

China sent 28.3 million paint rollers to the United States during the firsthalf of 2015, while Mexico exported 3.6 million and Germany shipped1.1 million.

The average price per paint roller for June 2015 was 52 cents, down 7percent from the average price for June 2014 of 56 cents. The averageprice for the first half of 2015 was 48 cents, down 9 percent from theaverage price of 53 cents for the first half of 2014.

PaintbrushesU.S. companies imported 26.6 million paintbrushes during June 2015,

up 21 percent from 22 million paintbrushes imported during June 2014.Paintbrush imports for the first half of 2015 were 119.7 million, up 9percent from 109.4 million recorded for the first half of 2014.

China shipped 112.5 million paintbrushes to the United States duringthe first half of 2015.

The average price per paintbrush for June 2015 was 31 cents, the sameas for June 2014. The average price for the first half of 2015 was 33 cents,up 14 percent from 29 cents for the first half of 2014.

Upright BroomsThe total import of upright brooms for June 2015 was 1.6 million, up

45 percent from 1.1 million for June 2014. During the first half of 2015,7.6 million upright brooms were imported, up 3 percent from 7.4 millionimported during the first half of 2014.

China sent 6.4 million upright brooms to the United States during thefirst half of 2015.

The average price per broom for June 2015 was $1.47, down 18 percentfrom the average price for June 2014 of $1.79. The average price perbroom for the first half of 2015 was $1.43, down 10 percent from $1.59for the first half of 2014.

Exports

Export totals for the first half of 2015 were up in all five categoriesoutlined: brooms and brushes of vegetable materials, toothbrushes,shaving brushes, artist brushes and paintbrushes, compared to the firsthalf of 2014.

In June 2015, all five categories outlined also reported increases:brooms and brushes of vegetable materials, toothbrushes, shavingbrushes, artist brushes and paintbrushes, compared to June 2014.

Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable MaterialsThe United States exported 6,583 dozen brooms and brushes of

vegetable materials during June 2015, up 31 percent from the June 2014total of 5,036 dozen. Exports of brooms and brushes of vegetablematerials during the first half of 2015 were 42,448 dozen, up 20 percentfrom 35,358 dozen for the first half of 2014.

The United States sent 14,206 dozen brooms and brushes to Canadaduring the first half of 2015.

The average price per dozen brooms and brushes was $46.16 in June2015, up 48 percent from $31.27 for June 2014. The average price perdozen brooms and brushes for the first half of 2015 was $47.03, up 25percent from $37.65 for the average price per dozen for the first half of2014.

ToothbrushesDuring June 2015, the United States exported 16.4 million

toothbrushes, up 40 percent from the total recorded in June 2014 of 11.7million. During the first half of 2015, 85.6 million toothbrushes wereexported, up 16 percent from 74 million exported during the first half of2014.

The United States exported 19.5 million toothbrushes to Germanyduring the first half of 2015, while sending 18.9 million toothbrushes toCanada and 15.9 million to Mexico.

The average price per toothbrush for June 2015 was 41 cents, down 20percent from 51 cents for June 2014. The average price per toothbrush forthe first half of 2015 was 48 cents, the same as the average price for thefirst half of 2014.

Shaving BrushesThe United States exported 1.9 million shaving brushes during June

2015, up 46 percent from 1.3 million shaving brushes exported for June2014. During the first half of 2015, 7.3 million shaving brushes wereexported, up 12 percent from 6.5 million for the first half of 2014.

Brazil imported 3.4 million shaving brushes from the United Statesduring the first half of 2015, while Canada received 1.7 million.

The average price per shaving brush for June 2015 was 94 cents, down17 percent from the average price for June 2014 of $1.25. The averageprice for the first half of 2015 was $1.19, down 17 percent from $1.43recorded for the first half of 2014.

Artist BrushesJune 2015 exports of artist brushes totaled 967,552, up 5 percent from

the June 2014 total of 917,747 artist brushes. During the first half of 2015,5.8 million artist brushes were exported, up 16 percent from 5 million forthe first half of 2014.

Canada received 3.7 million artist brushes from the United Statesduring the first half of 2015, while the United Kingdom imported 414,551and Mexico received 309,234.

The average price per artist brush was $2.36 during June 2015, down20 percent from the average price for June 2014 of $2.95. For the first halfof 2015, the average price per artist brush was $2.56, down 9 percentfrom the average price for the first half of 2014 of $2.81.

PaintbrushesThe export total of paintbrushes during June 2015 was 191,956, up 44

percent from 133,760 for June 2014. During the first half of 2015,922,824 paintbrushes were exported, up 22 percent from 757,715 duringthe first half of 2014.

Canada imported 399,887 paintbrushes from the United States duringthe first half of 2015, while the United Kingdom received 221,372.

The average price per paintbrush for June 2015 was $11.65, down 35percent from $17.91 for June 2014. The average price for the first half of2015 was $12.17, down 26 percent from $16.49 recorded for the first halfof 2014.



Domestic Merchandise1404902000 Broomcorn (Sorghum Vulgare Var. Technicum)Used Primarily In Brooms Or In Brushes, Whether or Not

In Hanks or Bundles June Year To Date Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton ValueSt K N 1 3,784France 4 14,688TOTAL 5 18,472

9603100000 Brooms & Brushes, Consisting of Twigs or OtherVegetable Materials Bound Together, With or Without Handles

June Year To Date Country Net Q/Dozen Value Net Q/Dozen ValueCanada 2,778 115,234 14,206 594,520Mexico 273 9,028 1,723 51,538Guatmal 89 2,950 89 2,950Hondura 106 3,500C Rica 110 10,299 1,645 33,606Bermuda 3,683 123,301Bahamas 170 46,044Jamaica 16 5,476Turk Is 97 3,208Cayman 49 3,069Haiti 118 3,891St K N 573 10,541Dominca 304 6,242S Lucia 92 3,429 917 11,083Curaco 329 10,731Guadlpe 150 10,047Colomb 429 9,552 1,144 20,957Venez 151 2,812Ecuador 106 16,266Chile 22 6,374Brazil 226 8,809Argent 600 17,196U King 261 10,941 2,803 124,071Ireland 62 9,000 93 13,500Germany 611 20,400Poland 135 9,768Kuwait 583 151,306S Arab 641 30,664 1,665 89,425Qatar 6 2,808Singapr 1,379 51,068Phil R 771 33,501 1,078 55,525China 28 3,640 2,526 153,210Kor Rep 959 39,297Hg Kong 934 28,960Japan 861 22,661Austral 1,049 65,649 1,492 184,186Egypt 697 29,662Nigeria 100 5,789Rep Saf 102 22,472TOTAL 6,583 303,887 42,448 1,996,269

9603210000 Toothbrushes June Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 4,306,022 2,150,204 18,942,981 16,733,858Mexico 2,738,968 863,779 15,858,015 5,437,941Guatmal 2,479 28,215 2,479 28,215Salvadr 16,184 119,078Hondura 8,640 8,053

Nicarag 5,160 4,388C Rica 1,164 10,122Panama 306,041 220,934 2,163,231 1,293,642Bermuda 1,408 7,999 1,408 7,999Jamaica 7,920 2,717 45,434 16,191Cayman 2,643 27,040Haiti 156 3,711Dom Rep 122,542 88,687 456,079 338,493B Virgn 771 7,884Antigua 5,400 4,488 9,864 8,917S Lucia 6,840 3,780 13,561 16,546Barbado 997 10,198Trinid 172,204 220,143 461,084 611,437S Maarte 859 7,056Curaco 143,712 55,140 293,255 107,434Aruba 9,172 6,286 25,302 18,581Martinq 212 6,223Colomb 70,284 93,748 550,717 444,539Guyana 2,000 3,000 39,689 83,562Surinam 1,930 6,471Chile 5,394 31,995Brazil 16,178 165,523Paragua 2,627 26,875Uruguay 98,106 92,156 104,437 155,207Argent 618,184 275,094 4,306,911 1,156,147Iceland 276 2,725 276 2,725U King 87,696 14,908 115,984 148,419Ireland 432,532 156,545 1,589,461 561,784Nethlds 2,808 30,288 19,013 75,583Belgium 2,049,474 362,374France 16,852 24,215 23,492 44,101Germany 3,428,368 640,679 19,509,676 3,486,898Czech 92,664 40,808 3,064,276 1,341,831Hungary 148,032 76,522Switzld 1,868 19,112 5,245 53,667Lithuan 2,112 5,163 11,048 32,599Poland 425 4,350Russia 5,100 15,252Armenia 1,383 3,561Turkmen 315 3,221Italy 7,277 30,130Slvenia 697 7,129Greece 362 3,705Israel 950 8,635Kuwait 3,120 18,261 3,120 18,261S Arab 5,760 6,552Arab Em 1,200 10,000 94,593 88,955India 276,683 108,773 1,728,991 665,747Thailnd 308,652 49,721Malaysa 1,968 3,795 2,823 12,545Singapr 720 2,520 11,592 24,613Indnsia 74,490 32,305Phil R 12,598 7,222 35,074 47,771China 487,757 343,818 4,593,817 2,642,269Kor Rep 1,481,164 768,917 4,263,114 2,700,281Hg Kong 978,126 318,498 2,997,886 1,386,976Taiwan 56,729 38,289 280,832 250,850Japan 416,486 123,367 1,222,565 302,068Austral 10,588 7,939 76,252 33,488Libya 80 2,880Rep Saf 473 4,838 473 4,838TOTAL 16,404,070 6,807,050 85,589,962 41,425,932

9603290000 Shaving Brushes, Hairbrushes, Nail Brushes,Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use on the Person

June Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q./No. ValueCanada 491,580 401,110 1,738,068 2,181,306Mexico 243,020 360,635 704,937 1,759,346Guatmal 971 7,880Belize 1,198 64,017 1,198 64,017Hondura 88 3,260C Rica 1,611 5,567 36,775 57,320

exportsJUNE EXPORTS BY COUNTRY

Panama 1,917 17,532 1,937 20,112Bahamas 405 3,705 405 3,705Dom Rep 10,375 35,826Trinid 7,998 21,787 102,081 158,120Curaco 4,160 2,813Colomb 12,843 26,496Venez 10,318 19,990Surinam 1,440 2,811Ecuador 103,446 61,734 167,684 181,946Peru 482 9,799Chile 9,648 17,352 28,466 57,989Brazil 850,264 306,503 3,362,036 976,957Paragua 7,308 27,085Argent 59,100 26,739 375,360 223,255Norway 47 2,650U King 32,597 90,917 104,143 392,684Nethlds 3,500 76,371 13,757 238,983Belgium 8,338 59,787France 24,877 50,546 82,554 233,544Germany 27,059 74,700 51,575 191,993Austria 100 8,690 100 8,690Switzld 531 4,856 3,646 33,342Poland 1,023 9,354Russia 2,917 5,878 9,089 23,931Spain 11,048 18,718Italy 1,383 12,650 1,483 16,762Turkey 31,835 64,094Israel 1,368 3,067Jordan 8,391 2,932 8,391 2,932Kuwait 5,439 51,012S Arab 1,700 3,877 8,945 36,979Arab Em 4,507 20,743 26,741 106,119India 2,989 27,329Singapr 28,538 92,659 111,235 362,556Phil R 130 6,169 266 22,329China 5,304 14,312 148,748 268,421Kor Rep 7,284 29,517 39,927 216,234

Hg Kong 23,850 134,589Taiwan 4,324 13,891 28,222 88,740Japan 2,599 21,866 14,089 122,414Austral 41,561 205,703Rep Saf 1,766 10,311TOTAL 1,925,928 1,817,255 7,349,107 8,773,300

9603300000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes and Similar Brushesfor the Application of Cosmetics

June Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 681,862 1,272,360 3,731,190 7,506,454Mexico 62,267 145,847 309,234 947,887Guatmal 196 3,173Salvadr 144 7,426 144 7,426Nicarag 2,676 9,873C Rica 1,000 6,095 23,742 90,007Panama 2,204 12,091 4,059 25,899Jamaica 3,296 12,160Cayman 1,969 7,265Haiti 1,644 21,727 1,644 21,727Dom Rep 18,065 22,617 38,791 47,509B Virgn 111 4,243 111 4,243Barbado 3,797 7,013Trinid 1,695 26,410Guadlpe 729 2,691Martinq 1,220 4,503Colomb 6,151 56,873 17,275 148,017Venez 1,732 6,389Ecuador 37,877 139,753Peru 1,800 4,143 3,446 11,442Chile 10,855 27,169 19,543 37,629Brazil 33,808 124,741 82,550 307,634Paragua 1,022 3,770 3,567 13,158Uruguay 2,363 8,717Argent 900 12,154Iceland 11,673 43,071



Sweden 15,247 54,157Norway 1,140 8,957 48,609 200,155Finland 50 2,850 2,877 13,282U King 39,991 146,399 414,551 1,333,331Ireland 7,061 24,015Nethlds 4,921 22,590 75,271 312,302Belgium 14,058 51,866France 480 2,597 66,574 259,247Germany 12,100 58,185 82,379 305,000Hungary 2,749 10,143 4,300 16,043Switzld 10,230 50,383Latvia 1,312 4,841 1,312 4,841Lithuan 2,000 4,860Poland 878 3,238 2,731 10,077Russia 584 2,991 3,878 21,828Spain 19,692 79,341Italy 2,609 9,628 20,490 80,860Slvenia 1,824 16,591Greece 194 2,550Turkey 99,280 368,803Lebanon 1,329 4,903Iraq 1,086 6,262Israel 8,140 30,514 37,805 88,013Jordan 692 2,554 692 2,554Kuwait 2,708 14,375S Arab 450 4,788 1,183 13,333Qatar 288 2,700 288 2,700Arab Em 2,827 12,935 9,056 38,211India 2,905 24,322Thailnd 12,981 47,893 45,715 168,672Vietnam 11,636 42,931 12,408 45,781Malaysa 11,011 37,064 20,582 72,380Singapr 2,017 22,837Indnsia 2,512 9,268Phil R 2,070 7,636 2,070

7,636China 10,312 38,048 71,133 263,442Kor Rep 55,830 244,805Hg Kong 4,346 16,035 61,822 280,149Taiwan 7,077 41,560Japan 1,843 6,800 93,104 345,301Austral 13,209 53,143 132,804 381,507N Zeal 5,150 20,779Nigeria 2,772 14,794Rep Saf 32,131 51,895TOTAL 967,552 2,284,562 5,802,156 14,827,215

9603402000 Paint Rollers June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 127,368 277,736 607,020 1,218,089Mexico 19,833 49,921 79,020 208,479Hondura 12,040 12,930 12,040 12,930C Rica 120 3,200 16,520 110,927Panama 30,759 44,297 53,459 154,518Bermuda 4,424 10,236Bahamas 2,894 32,909 11,077 66,957Jamaica 1,716 4,749Cayman 780 5,964Dom Rep 37,388 111,739Trinid 17,164 44,431Colomb 2,785 48,879Peru 1,120 7,037Chile 395 2,657Brazil 225 3,944 225 3,944Finland 147 2,580U King 108 3,511 429 21,785Ireland 2,856 11,582Nethlds 46 3,663

• Galvanized & tinned wire for brush - broom - mop production

• Processed Broom Corn & Yucca

• Wood Broom - Mop - Brush Handles

• Craft Broom Corn And Supplies

• Other Materials - Broom Twine, Broom Nails, Mop Hardware

Supplier of Raw Materials to Manufacture Brooms, Mops, and Brushes

P.O. Box 14634 • Greensboro, NC 27415

336-273-3609 800-213-9224 Fax: 336-378-6047

E-mail: [email protected]

We ship by pup or truck load direct from Mexico, or LTL/ UPS from our Greensboro warehouse.


Belgium 10 2,571Germany 7,109 23,090 24,446 63,715Czech 42 11,280Hungary 151 2,650Lithuan 4,114 16,195Italy 1,148 8,055 1,148 8,055Turkey 73 6,934Israel 461 8,083S Arab 64,800 59,256Oman 600 3,216 600 3,216India 5,000 20,550 8,159 33,520Thailnd 49 5,617Malaysa 1,220 6,178 4,261 20,856Singapr 1,004 3,300China 100 3,835 560 6,597Kor Rep 70 5,310 4,608 79,601Hg Kong 340 20,900Taiwan 20 2,552 20 2,552Austral 19,694 53,572N Zeal 4,499 26,746Fiji 5,250 6,850Ghana 2,000 3,134Rep Saf 117,596 84,669TOTAL 208,614 501,234 1,112,496 2,581,015

9603404020 Paint Pads June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 75,645 59,191 83,654 111,453Panama 309 9,332Dom Rep 418 2,965 418 2,965Trinid 682 4,840Peru 1,476 5,766Chile 141 3,339Brazil 4,404 30,641 15,126 96,540Argent 1,440 5,387Falk Is 6,283 44,603Finland 6,000 12,360U King 10,914 45,336 13,374 60,696Spain 399 2,832Malaysa 1,320 3,744Singapr 2,136 5,437Japan 1,200 2,844 1,200 2,844Austral 12,740 10,465Nigeria 434 3,080TOTAL 92,581 140,977 147,132 385,683

9603404050 Paint, Distemper, Varnish or Similar Brushes(Except Brushes of 9603.30)

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 69,978 997,898 399,887 5,196,410Mexico 2,994 32,242 15,850 246,454Guatmal 3,250 21,216Salvadr 47 3,525Hondura 222 3,642 8,092 42,383Nicarag 497 6,140C Rica 96 6,123 210 8,940Panama 132 2,730 5,139 150,206Bermuda 506 10,506Bahamas 417 8,644 1,665 41,188Jamaica 1,315 27,288Cayman 132 2,744Dom Rep 1,020 5,385B Virgn 1,060 26,525S Vn Gr 130 2,695Grenada 45 4,975 45 4,975Barbado 168 3,478Trinid 4,065 28,586Colomb 319 6,622Venez 357 7,403Ecuador 1,674 71,045 4,607 131,888Chile 1,476 24,706Brazil 944 19,592 3,468 78,022Argent 2,528 52,425

Finland 660 23,157Denmark 398 8,262U King 66,300 295,274 221,372 1,773,104Ireland 37 7,838 548 18,429Nethlds 731 17,967 7,735 56,480France 619 12,840 3,138 51,697Germany 219 4,550 9,842 118,938Slovak 702 14,555Lithuan 375 5,535 375 5,535Poland 859 17,171Russia 5,196 107,766Spain 56 7,799Italy 937 4,142 1,582 12,803Slvenia 275 5,710Turkey 4,000 14,200 7,500 34,465Lebanon 606 15,485 606 15,485Israel 337 6,995 1,638 33,983S Arab 4,588 28,988Arab Em 595 8,084India 151 3,135Pakistn 40 3,560Malaysa 528 4,024Singapr 139 2,873 5,476 104,732Phil R 4,209 33,171China 310 6,420 4,958 99,028Kor Rep 12,486 356,855 111,984 1,729,701Taiwan 600 13,470 1,866 34,293Japan 1,920 17,888Austral 22,260 244,202 44,622 487,731New Gui 313 6,500N Zeal 5,498 80,793 19,244 177,140Samoa 1,213 12,497Nigeria 1,694 24,093Gabon 480 9,950Chad 480 7,603Rep Saf 148 3,070


TOTAL 191,956 2,236,330 922,824 11,230,237

9603900000 Hand-Operated Mechanical Floor Sweepers,Not Motorized, Mops & Feather Dusters; Prepared Knots & Tufts

for Broom or Brush Making, NESOI June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueGreenld 335 2,592Canada 297,801 3,217,646 1,447,444 17,425,978Mexico 28,288 340,348 244,529 2,936,902Guatmal 3,322 42,425Belize 590 2,958 690 5,808Salvadr 1,733 28,875Hondura 4,745 41,295 10,548 67,595Nicarag 36 2,682 1,351 13,274C Rica 2,045 24,197 20,836 238,314Panama 1,218 9,023 10,236 115,815Bermuda 318 5,164Bahamas 91 3,711 6,498 43,520Jamaica 799 9,652 2,148 27,229Cayman 2,713 27,915Haiti 1,051 10,372Dom Rep 2,297 40,226 5,099 91,978B Virgn 211 3,776St K N 1,080 3,153S Lucia 1,320 4,225 1,320 4,225Grenada 1,177 2,715 1,177 2,715Barbado 40 6,221Trinid 534 10,118 1,371 20,965Curaco 852 7,866Aruba 36 2,565 36 2,565Colomb 2,053 35,229 9,795 172,509Venez 83,343 943,070Guyana 542 6,205Ecuador 11,030 56,510Peru 2,017 38,783 11,175 168,168Bolivia 3,019 72,254Chile 897 19,243 7,996 139,112Brazil 12,684 131,327 38,818 431,682Paragua 11,437 36,499Uruguay 3,726 60,437Argent 1,082 25,570Iceland 1,112 22,414Sweden 2,275 51,112Norway 1,528 16,838 3,385 38,191Finland 18 2,600 758 15,864Denmark 12,350 53,475 20,946 192,895U King 20,418 126,614 99,096 830,865Ireland 435 27,453 4,273 103,034Nethlds 3,696 59,956 33,116 367,614Belgium 495 8,021 39,309 404,051Luxmbrg 520 24,970France 2,873 70,044 7,906 159,330Germany 6,177 62,787 30,122 383,676Czech 139 3,812Hungary 158 2,563 1,496 22,359Switzld 3,347 58,698Estonia 550 3,111Latvia 600 4,783 3,144 38,035Poland 1,144 4,461 6,489 44,881Russia 1,800 8,661 8,125 59,235Kazakhs 300 4,858Spain 1,560 15,662 5,208 58,223Portugl 759 6,766Italy 5,758 95,216 12,291 188,746Greece 511 8,280 511 8,280Romania 1,200 3,312Turkey 3,731 32,792Lebanon 370 6,000 1,090 10,400Iraq 163 3,370Israel 4,966 80,550 7,225 105,081Jordan 1,332 21,600Kuwait 7,362 112,473S Arab 11,702 178,867 62,154 869,614Qatar 999 14,119

Arab Em 1,284 36,960 26,863 279,165Bahrain 141 2,786Afghan 1,499 23,448India 2,106 34,154 14,140 197,784Pakistn 428 5,116Sri Lka 80 3,799Thailnd 320 2,777 1,778 32,116Vietnam 2,295 40,657Cambod 330 2,969Malaysa 489 10,006 3,683 79,017Singapr 4,198 57,016 29,691 365,822Indnsia 24 4,600Phil R 1,776 39,056 10,480 158,039Macau 455 7,386Maldive 85 4,362 85 4,362China 17,911 77,179 57,550 484,590Kor Rep 817 13,244 16,032 160,821Hg Kong 5,048 68,851 115,304 1,770,107Taiwan 945 28,617 8,034 144,305Japan 10,637 127,505 292,310 4,420,612Austral 12,517 77,876 51,285 537,333N Zeal 1,028 8,048 6,194 53,555Moroc 975 6,435Egypt 3,312 20,808Togo 850 15,360Nigeria 11,959 267,271Gabon 2,310 37,462Burkina 650 6,500Angola 239 3,884 1,106 20,267Djibuti 1,022 16,570Tnzania 68 4,101 68 4,101Rep Saf 673 10,904 9,881 68,180TOTAL 495,328 5,373,314 2,988,148 36,752,382

0502100000 Pigs’, Hogs’ or Boars’ Bristlesand Hair and Waste Thereof

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueGermany 518 20,604Thailnd 181 8,392 1,269 27,247China 14,478 347,985 117,411 2,043,523Kor Rep 1,750 19,115TOTAL 14,659 356,377 120,948 2,110,489

0502900000 Badger Hair and OtherBrushmaking Hair and Waste Thereof

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueThailnd 197 9,126 2,590 78,084China 2,104 50,275 11,395 359,936TOTAL 2,301 59,401 13,985 438,020

0511993300 Horsehair and Horsehair Waste, Whether or NotPut Up As A Layer With or Without Supporting Material

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueBrazil 1 3,107Paragua 20,271 277,153Germany 11,875 94,322China 22,353 339,332 95,504 1,324,710TOTAL 22,353 339,332 127,651 1,699,292

1404903000 Istle Used Primarily In Brooms or In Brushes,Whether or Not In Hanks or Bundles

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueMexico 40,696 221,056 203,113 1,119,351

importsJUNE IMPORTS BY COUNTRY


China 37 3,541TOTAL 40,696 221,056 203,150 1,122,892

4417002000 Broom and Mop Handles, 1.9 CM or More InDiameter and 97 CM or More In Length, Of Wood

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 46,110 45,874Salvadr 7,800 2,345 7,800 2,345Hondura 456,164 240,964 1,840,366 1,075,436Dom Rep 49,068 64,186Colomb 6,180 2,528 21,276 9,947Brazil 1,329,312 1,487,544 5,425,840 6,122,037Sri Lka 4,800 8,339Indnsia 64,396 78,664 391,085 407,143China 204,180 174,527 1,377,594 1,035,934Hg Kong 1,800 3,360 2,808 7,342Taiwan 4,176 3,306TOTAL 2,069,832 1,989,932 9,170,923 8,781,889

4417004000 Paint Brush and Paint Roller Handles, Of Wood June Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueGermany 4,878 55,625Czech 34,179Poland 196,416Italy 991,507 4,425,759Thailnd 14,448 70,087Indnsia 62,133 856,844China 277,913 1,115,708Taiwan 3,051TOTAL 1,350,879 6,757,669

4417006000 Brush Backs, Of Wood June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 391,691 180,490 1,740,312 728,614Mexico 3,708 14,115Hondura 54,432 22,947 256,228 121,609Sri Lka 239,816 150,515 1,050,056 592,795Indnsia 84,000 19,173 152,993 39,157China 42,771 14,410 99,691 38,957TOTAL 812,710 387,535 3,302,988 1,535,247

4417008010 Tool Handles of Wood June Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 25,532 176,717Mexico 21,616 371,359Guatmal 21,248 75,149Hondura 83,164 404,334Brazil 247,843 1,264,251Nethlds 7,588Switzld 2,297Italy 174,083 306,878India 2,782 4,915Vietnam 58,470 246,996Indnsia 71,044China 121,362 555,482Taiwan 110,187 396,317TOTAL 866,287 3,883,327

4417008090 Tools, Tool Bodies, Broom or Brush Bodies,Shoe Lasts and Trees, of Wood

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 5,731 170,666Mexico 3,047 101,543Hondura 6,915C Rica 2,606Chile 834,626 3,921,143Brazil 494,892U King 12,135 52,839France 22,739 46,483Germany 6,058 62,881

Austria 41,742Switzld 42,340Spain 3,186 10,175Italy 3,800 50,522Croatia 4,376 4,376Romania 2,145India 153,732 870,607Sri Lka 35,674 380,121Thailnd 26,505Vietnam 102,652Indnsia 95,100China 542,851 2,433,900Kor Rep 4,875Hg Kong 7,880Taiwan 17,640 32,840Japan 472,198 1,602,915TOTAL 2,117,793 10,568,663

7326908576 Metal Handles For Brooms, Mops, Paint Applicators June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 11,520 5,612 289,173 95,913Brazil 14,496 8,298 78,648 49,854Sweden 970 6,327 1,050 16,124Denmark 330 3,079 1,195 23,171Germany 1,200 3,404Spain 1,011,263 424,342 5,883,575 2,497,881Italy 373,324 706,173 1,360,549 3,558,439Israel 3,480 2,667China 1,015,155 1,356,807 5,691,788 6,758,055Kor Rep 12 9,050 32 11,500Hg Kong 3,500 8,647Taiwan 144,742 70,528TOTAL 2,427,070 2,519,688 13,458,932 13,096,183

9603100500 Wiskbrooms, of Broom Corn, LT=.96 EA. Prior to Entryor Withdrawal for Consumption of 61,655 Dozen In Calendar Year June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueChina 61,392 53,964TOTAL 61,392 53,964

9603104000 Other Brooms, of Broomcorn, LT=.96 EA, Prior to Entry orWithdrawal For Consumption of GT=121,478 Dozen in Calendar Year June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 18,132 14,297 68,808 52,449TOTAL 18,132 14,297 68,808 52,449

9603106000 Other Brooms, Of Broomcorn, Valued Over .96 Each June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 733,683 1,879,381 3,678,041 9,454,952Hondura 5,232 11,877China 11,676 24,757 32,110 64,660TOTAL 745,359 1,904,138 3,715,383 9,531,489

9603109000 Brooms & Brushes, Consisting of Twigsor Other Vegetable Materials Bound Together,

With or Without Handles, NESOI June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 340,125 401,892 905,427 1,149,397Mexico 2,160 9,353 22,608 81,158C Rica 3,240 4,690Colomb 3,600 2,990Germany 450 2,082 2,120 14,106Switzld 12 3,968Estonia 828 28,636Italy 1,677 20,929India 8,500 11,296 34,536 41,101Pakistn 7,150 6,029Sri Lka 198,665 170,188 1,094,146 949,493Thailnd 150 2,775 18,900 41,586Vietnam 38,660 43,874 115,170 140,919


Phil R 2,700 6,828 17,900 41,227China 446,300 179,530 829,060 460,558Kor Rep 1,436 5,948Japan 13,269 6,793 13,269 6,793TOTAL 1,050,979 834,611 3,071,079 2,999,528

9603210000 Toothbrushes, Incl. Dental-Plate Brushes June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 7,530 22,836 154,835 107,895Mexico 263,520 131,099 1,471,429 867,445Guatmal 76,800 9,781 9,008,152 2,112,916Brazil 81,432 20,667 482,832 155,022Sweden 191,852 221,960U King 600 2,307 1,085 4,486Ireland 943,680 436,670 3,198,880 1,609,391Nethlds 168,912 29,052 186,008 39,763France 8,000 6,386Germany 2,911,444 2,045,668 15,744,417 10,888,777Hungary 19,632 25,813 85,560 99,091Switzld 5,231,640 4,137,245 26,011,561 19,275,314Italy 38,020 197,183 122,532 598,346India 1,057,584 486,842 21,645,616 4,076,711Thailnd 6,480 2,931 733,248 217,129Vietnam 6,881,161 581,882 30,789,467 2,849,958Malaysa 1,787,640 199,582Indnsia 22,500 49,396China 68,887,317 14,505,640 378,597,095 77,891,894Kor Rep 38,740 29,273 1,823,846 617,115Hg Kong 1,824 2,184 199,734 52,755Taiwan 1,241,750 294,626 10,252,223 2,272,439Japan 1,205,000 101,837 2,477,014 470,710TOTAL 89,063,066 23,063,536 504,995,526 124,684,481

9603294010 Hairbrushes, Valued Not Over .40 Each June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueItaly 50,000 11,330China 4,360,480 986,363 21,357,918 5,545,779Hg Kong 15,050 5,976 15,050 5,976Taiwan 12,096 3,638TOTAL 4,375,530 992,339 21,435,064 5,566,723

9603294090 Shaving Brushes, Nail Brushes,Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use On The Person,

Valued Not Over .40 Each June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 22,400 3,519 550,840 91,370Nethlds 67,076 4,101Germany 252,150 55,453 21,164,290 1,598,456Italy 1,080,000 18,490 3,708,728 71,660India 376,320 10,903Thailnd 89,122 17,203China 3,478,384 390,007 18,473,312 2,757,925Kor Rep 15,000 3,955 499,812 36,853Hg Kong 14,400 3,245 76,560 21,097Taiwan 506,752 136,239Japan 50,000 8,446 163,144 31,398TOTAL 4,912,334 483,115 45,675,956 4,777,205

9603302000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication Of Cosmetics, Valued Not Over .05 Each

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 150,000 5,118Mexico 289,200 5,224 2,104,200 63,358Dom Rep 109,846 3,068France 3,410,000 125,348 13,135,000 447,663Germany 5,592,000 182,823 12,606,346 399,734Italy 1,654,000 24,842 24,816,000 304,326India 967,500 10,197 4,340,460 113,673Thailnd 316,115 8,360Vietnam 1,650,000 19,398 8,470,000 105,410China 18,597,401 667,655 87,147,284 2,847,957

Kor Rep 596,000 18,309 10,231,661 248,271Taiwan 5,012,192 70,046Japan 100,000 2,956TOTAL 32,756,101 1,053,796 168,539,104 4,619,940 9603304000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication of Cosmetics, Valued Over .05 But not Over .10 Each

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 100,000 5,754Mexico 4,232,446 327,887 21,981,069 1,664,994U King 36,570 2,800France 42,000 2,836 42,000 2,836Germany 742,000 53,813 3,092,000 225,948Italy 261,000 25,886 419,920 35,164India 50,000 4,124 1,158,336 82,122Vietnam 33,000 2,640China 13,814,254 1,122,881 67,440,987 5,402,198Kor Rep 150,000 14,616 641,842 61,421Hg Kong 800,000 56,350Taiwan 60,048 5,489 622,871 52,282TOTAL 19,351,748 1,557,532 96,368,595 7,594,509

9603306000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication Of Cosmetics, Valued Over .10 Each

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 412 12,152 22,508 39,325Mexico 14,226,914 2,379,245 82,681,698 13,355,746Dom Rep 103,182 143,270 221,799 462,746B Virgn 1,000 5,125U King 17,269 71,298 222,418 571,460France 86,029 432,327 486,352 2,376,253Germany 28,310 119,160 311,244 1,124,220Austria 800 2,675 800 2,675Switzld 6,346 30,380Poland 132 3,703 231 6,491Spain 6,223 44,276 108,682 405,596Italy 30,658 158,764 77,222 667,598Slvenia 117 5,536Greece 469 14,005India 623,828 234,899 4,789,873 1,777,882Sri Lka 160,539 179,281 1,264,611 988,069Thailnd 377,155 213,144 1,723,933 895,752Vietnam 1,035,600 314,756 2,026,300 1,021,730Singapr 500,000 103,500Indnsia 12 4,107 12 4,107Phil R 144 12,489China 39,410,301 28,176,132 178,712,051 137,672,371Kor Rep 383,196 457,708 1,245,263 1,452,006Hg Kong 1,096,774 506,676 2,513,917 1,937,692Taiwan 281,021 119,964 864,787 582,722Japan 293,214 1,180,300 1,443,029 6,647,046Austral 100 5,050 2,475 49,945Mauritn 3,327 20,633Maurit 44,200 219,061 207,936 1,135,871TOTAL 58,205,869 34,977,948 279,438,544 173,368,971

9603402000 Paint Rollers June Year To DateCanada 9,720 20,071 62,414 150,286Mexico 527,081 230,272 3,638,817 1,369,475Sweden 10,350 17,668 26,430 59,658U King 72,960 46,441 195,660 132,381Nethlds 2,000 3,609Germany 106,608 30,602 1,083,472 228,847Czech 41,600 10,348 237,460 76,005Spain 10 2,545Cambod 162,300 38,265 1,116,788 215,074Indnsia 213,376 105,596China 6,035,031 3,195,883 28,318,950 14,350,922Taiwan 660 7,701Japan 2 3,078Rep Saf 56 5,533 168 17,712TOTAL 6,965,706 3,595,083 34,896,207 16,722,889


9603404020 Paint Pads (Other Than Of Subheading 9603.30) June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueU King 211,454 110,896Pakistn 38,400 4,212 156,000 16,366China 997,615 604,093 9,756,779 4,218,131Hg Kong 15,264 14,788Taiwan 272,909 137,343TOTAL 1,036,015 608,305 10,412,406 4,497,524

9603404040 Natural Bristle Brushes, Other Than Brushes OfSubheading 9603.30

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 17,546 22,330 89,433 107,866Sweden 240 3,121 340 7,454Denmark 122 2,463 122 2,463U King 127,374 264,444Nethlds 888 3,574Germany 488 5,236 9,192 71,988Italy 11,904 57,886 88,216 634,089Turkey 22,484 100,809India 5,000 7,598 5,000 7,598Thailnd 8,487 47,587 8,487 47,587Indnsia 5,276,296 921,756 31,100,116 5,265,612China 8,667,518 1,615,909 39,574,372 7,001,626Taiwan 518,544 66,490 697,086 129,104Japan 140 3,494 140 3,494TOTAL 14,506,285 2,753,870 71,723,250 13,647,708

9603404060 Paint, Distemper, Varnish/Similr Brushes Exc Brushesof Subheading 9603.30 NESOI

June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 5,000 6,315 30,925 55,359Guatmal 10,320 9,146Dom Rep 14 8,495Sweden 31,780 13,014 100,960 36,546U King 44,700 21,075 165,061 109,053Ireland 941 4,589Nethlds 25,465 58,716Belgium 5,226 12,857France 1,716 4,572Germany 179,948 336,399 211,486 435,150Switzld 40 4,884Italy 5,052 10,519Slvenia 3,100 6,644 3,100 6,644Turkey 90,424 287,750Israel 240 3,571India 25,000 4,311Sri Lka 7 5,495Vietnam 916 3,365 1,572 6,223Indnsia 223,848 63,285 5,904,792 1,482,117Phil R 965 3,799China 26,044,749 7,801,348 112,504,034 37,057,607Kor Rep 47,483 14,885Hg Kong 43,236 20,464Taiwan 10 3,866 35,560 47,629Japan 20,706 24,035 134,737 155,179Austral 19,000 3,960 19,000 3,960Rep Saf 73,416 37,096 373,833 140,434TOTAL 26,647,173 8,320,402 119,741,189 39,989,954

9603908010 Wiskbrooms June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 650 2,216Colomb 4,320 4,289 4,320 4,289Italy 200 4,165China 157,080 107,407 1,055,768 691,936Hg Kong 8,064 9,649 68,076 81,852Taiwan 1,776 2,188 3,792 7,223TOTAL 171,240 123,533 1,132,806 791,681

9603908020 Upright Brooms June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,800 6,315Mexico 11,760 33,883 143,613 267,864Guatmal 36,036 43,831 82,160 183,046Hondura 7,200 7,481Colomb 10,320 9,303Brazil 17,802 119,779 50,652 304,993Germany 5,005 20,665Spain 41,040 74,087 104,640 195,278Portugl 210 2,721 210 2,721Italy 119,036 172,254 337,260 496,746Sri Lka 73,440 129,867 443,322 880,532Phil R 1,200 2,685China 1,337,885 1,822,727 6,405,320 8,469,036Kor Rep 303 3,610Hg Kong 1,800 3,966TOTAL 1,637,209 2,399,149 7,594,805 10,854,241

9603908030 Push Brooms, 41 CM or Less in Width June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,279 5,155Mexico 132 2,541 431 4,590Sri Lka 92,922 263,983 371,710 1,239,863China 61,243 137,773 204,342 635,866Taiwan 535 10,741TOTAL 154,297 404,297 578,297 1,896,215

9603908040 Other Brooms, NESOI June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 512 3,260 53,112 386,603Mexico 530,837 714,305 2,328,080 3,115,355Guatmal 41,256 40,170Salvadr 35,203 36,916 250,933 270,939Dom Rep 8,580 11,253 8,580 11,253Colomb 13,894 51,622 191,166 255,492Venez 1,172 11,829 1,172 11,829Brazil 28,180 38,959 204,168 311,391U King 1,703 13,691Nethlds 128 8,605Germany 200 4,174 860 12,369Czech 41,328 12,091 489,552 153,012Spain 40,248 32,643Portugl 4,800 7,500 4,800 7,500Italy 1,612 45,978 60,558 238,953Israel 9,330 25,921India 632 7,970 674 11,114Sri Lka 65,332 92,559 512,954 1,017,621Thailnd 3,210 9,458 18,835 50,085Vietnam 15,740 15,767 100,949 151,475China 762,156 749,595 2,696,318 3,235,705Hg Kong 2,080 16,670Taiwan 3,840 9,560 14,744 31,860Austral 550 115,942TOTAL 1,517,228 1,822,796 7,032,750 9,526,198

9603908050 Brooms, Brushes, Sqeegees, Etc., NESOI June Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 2,714,225 10,639,871Mexico 5,518,048 27,841,064Salvadr 43,183 179,296Hondura 1,803,122 9,800,396Dom Rep 28,847 123,112Colomb 84,087 383,328Brazil 47,009 280,906Sweden 33,236 116,005Norway 3,191Finland 25,318 47,983Denmark 288,943 1,524,755

Continued On Page 54


investment decisions,” Peveling said. “AtWohler, we are constantly working on newinnovations for the benefit of our U.S. and othercustomers. This helps us find better solutions,meet specific customer requirements and/oroptimize existing machine concepts and systems.We always keep our customers up-to-date onthese processes.”

According to Peveling, there are a number ofinnovative highlights that will be presented byWöhler Brush Tech representatives during the2016 InterBrush. A strong focus will be placed onthe company’s strip and power brush productioncapabilities.

“Innovative engineering and our proximity tocustomers throughout the world are other Wöhlerbenefits to be showcased at InterBrush. We alsohave carefully reviewed our product portfolio,and developed a new concept for betteraddressing specific customer target groups,”Peveling said. “Wohler is all about the world ofbrushmaking machines, within which there arevarious individual worlds — from strip brush andpower brush machinery to street sweeper brushequipment.

“We look forward to presenting new conceptsat our large InterBrush 520 m2 stand in Hall 3. Itis here that visitors will be able to selectively visitthese worlds or experience their entirety.”

As 2016 approaches, Peveling sees bothopportunities and challenges ahead forcompanies involved in producing equipment forbrush makers. He noted there are various fixedand variable influences throughout the world thatmust be addressed for future business success.

“Due to our long experience at Wohler, weknow how to cope with changes within the globaleconomy. New developments in business andeconomies are natural processes, for which we arewell positioned to find optimal solutions when itcomes to producing and selling brushmakingmachinery,” Peveling said. “Industry 4.0 and theInternet of Things ((IoT) are part of the strategy wefollow and integrate at Wohler. This approach hasproved successful in the past, and will remain ourapproach for the future.”

He added that in the world of brush making,there are two main areas which have to beconstantly redefined: production efficiency andfinding solutions for custom products.

“This is exactly where Wohler starts. As apartner with different brush producers, we lookand listen in detail to the factors that are ofparticular importance. Our expertise andresources allow us to quickly respond to trends,and meet the latest demands placed bycustomers,” Peveling said. “A good example isthe ever increasing level of automation neededfor today’s machines.

“We, at Wohler, see ourselves as a partner tothe worldwide brushmaking industry. We workwith customers from the very start of theirprojects, and maintain constant contact to

optimize product quality and productionefficiency. This involves focusing on innovativeideas and state-of-the-art technology.”

It’s not only important to Wöhler Brush Techrepresentatives that their customers are satisfied,but also that they remain sustainable, Pevelingadded. This is achieved with continualcommunication on both sides.

“We operate a service hotline for fast anddirect customer communication. If a customerhas a problem, he/she can speak directly with anexpert. Our service team has access to allmachine documentation, and can quickly offer asolution,” Peveling said. “We also constantlymonitor the brush market, and observe the latesttrends as they develop. This allows us to find, andoffer, optimal machine solutions as quickly aspossible.”

Officials at Wöhler Brush Tech also supportcustomers by providing expertise and reliabilityin developing machines for the production ofniche products, according to Peveling. This isdone by either adapting established standardmachinery to specific customer requirements, orby creating efficient production processes andsystems for completely new equipment.

“At Wohler, we are constantly faced with newchallenges when it comes to service and machineryproduction. Our strength is in creating new ideasand making them become a reality,” Peveling said.“The overall application of industrial brushes iswell established in countless sectors, andinnovations are well received by many companies.I feel this will continue in the future.

“It’s important that brush producers continueto be open toward technological advancementsand innovations. Those customers who come toWohler with their ideas and visions will be welladvised and helped — all in an effort to achievesustained market success.”

Contact: Wöhler Brush Tech GmbH,Schützenstraße 38,

33181 Bad Wünnenberg, Germany. Phone: +49 29 53 – 73 300.Email: [email protected].

Website: www.bt.woehler.com.

During the past year, officials at BizzottoGiovanni Automation have invested inresources to expand the company’s

production facility, located in the municipality ofSan Giorgio in Bosco, in Italy. At the same time,the brush machinery producer has increasedproduction and engineering staff to ensurecustomers continue to receive quick and efficientservice pertaining to technical assistance, adviceand supply.

“We are also developing a new website,showing all of Bizzotto’s capabilities andpotential in the automation sector,” BizzottoGeneral Manager Marco Bizzotto said. “We areexcited about the company’s future, especiallywhen it comes to new products and building solidcustomer relationships.”

Bizzotto representatives are also focusing onthe company’s participation as a 2016 InterBrushexhibitor. Marco Bizzotto said his business willshowcase custom-made equipment whilebuilding solid relationships with new andlongtime customers.

“Following the path marked by its founder,Giovanni Bizzotto, a person with a passion formechanical equipment, and putting to good usethe experience achieved after many years of hardwork, Bizzotto Giovanni Automation has evolvedin the mechanical and industrial sectors,”according to Marco Bizzotto.

Due to technological research and thedevelopment of soph is ticated automationsystems, the company has widened its hori zons,presenting itself as a supplier of totallycustomized ma c h ineryfor diff erent industrialsect ors. Mar co Bizz -otto said the comp anyhas also focused onoffering a completepartnership with cu st -omers that exp ressesitself in the capacity tounderstand needs andprovide “made-to-measure” solutions.

Established in 1957, Bizzotto GiovanniAutomation specializes in providing machineryin three main areas. They are:

n Handle Machinery Sector — Sanders,chucking machinery (i.e. doming, tapering,tenoning, threading, end boring, cross boring,etc.), painting machinery (lacquering), labelingsystems, and packing machinery for theproduction of wooden handles.

Complete machinery lines are also available forthe production of metal handles, starting from flatsteel or aluminum band coil and includingpainting lines; machines for assembling variousplastic inserts (i.e. hanger tips, thread inserts, mopinserts, tapered inserts, etc.); boring, deformingand cutting machinery; labeling systems; andmachines for packaging with the use of differentsystems, including those that are robotized;

n Woodworking Machinery Sector —Profiling and shaping machines; boring andtapping machines; and sanders for the productionof broom and brush blocks, paintbrush handlesand similar items; and

n Industrial Automation Sector — Customizedmachinery for the preparation, positioning andassembly of particular products and accessoriesfor the cleaning industry (i.e. mops, floorscrubbers, detergent dispensers, velvet lintbrushes for clothes cleaning, adhesive lint brushesfor clothes cleaning, toothbrush/accessories, etc.);and machinery for the automotive and kitchenappliance industries.

“Our commitment remains the same, which isto provide revolutionary and profitable technicalsolutions for customers. Confidential agreementsthat we make with our customers, when

Marco Bizzotto

Advancing Automation: Continued From Page 8

BIZZOTTO GIOVANNI AUTOMATION


developing new and personalized projects, do notallow us to promote our innovations andmachinery as we normally would, but we are veryproud of the results that we have achieved. Theseresults help us remain a reliable partner withcustomers,” Marco Bizzotto said.

He added that a sometimes slow worldeconomy has not had a strong negative influenceon Bizzotto. He feels this is due to the company’songoing commitment to understand customers’needs and provide state-of-the-art solutions.

“We are aware that our customers’ successeskeep us successful as well,” Marco Bizzotto said.“Most of our customers — as broom, brush and/ormop manufacturers — choose to periodicallydevelop new products and models, increasing thevalue added to their products. They invest ininnovation as it’s the only way to avoid becominginvolved in a war of falling prices amongcompetitors. Those companies that produceinnovative products are often more profitable.”

Continuous evolution of these products pushesmany companies to search for flexible tech -nologies and, at the same time, the lowestinvestment and management costs.

“All of this requires the use of technologically-advanced production and, therefore, machinerywith high flexibility in order to continually adaptto new requirements,” Marco Bizzotto said. “Thisis a challenge for an existing developmentprocess that, thanks to globalization, has tried todesign and make products with the idea ofproducing in large numbers.

“We believe the most important thing we offeris a complete partnership with customers. Thisexpresses itself in our capacity to understand theirspecific needs, and provide customers with‘made-to-measure’ solutions.”

According to Marco Bizzotto, his companydoes not simply build machinery. Instead, its staff— with competencies that range from design toengineering — supports each customer in theevaluation of possible ergonomic and technicalimprovements, for which a specific machine andautomation must be created.

“Once final specifications for an item areidentified, our team of designers and electronicexperts set the most suitable technical solutionsin place to apply to the machinery. Asophisticated computer net allows for strictcooperation between our different departments.This guarantees a constant updating capability forany phase of the project, and the application ofthe most innovative and reliable technologies,”Marco Bizzotto said. “Only then will eachcomponent be produced with great care, while thefinal assembly of the parts and testing also takeplace. Lastly, a team of qualified techniciansattends to the installation and the start-up of ourmachinery. We can provide this service anywherein the world.”

Focusing on the slogan, “The solution is …automation,” Marco Bizzotto added it’s thecompany’s stance that automation should be applied,as much as possible, in all production processes.

“We are currently developing some fullyautomatic production lines; however, most of ourmachines are custom-made, and most of ourprojects must be kept confidential,” MarcoBizzotto said. “This is an aspect of how we dobusiness, and it’s appreciated by our customers.”

He added that a continual push towardautomation is important as it helps reduceproduction costs. It not only lowers manual laborrequirements but optimizes productivity —assuring a high and consistent standard of quality.

“Advancement in automation, through the useof the most suitable and up-to-date technicalsolutions, helps to successfully achieve productreliability, simplicity of use and economy ofcost,” Marco Bizzotto said.

Overall, he added, Bizzotto has carved out aniche within the machinery marketplace byproviding customized and flexible equipment,while also supporting customers during everystep of the production process.

“Each solution that we propose is dedicated to aspecific item or items that a customer needs toproduce. It’s with the passion of an ‘artisan’that ourstate-of-the-art solutions are highly appreciated inmany places of the world,” he added.

Looking ahead, Bizzotto officials will work tofurther improve the company’s productionprocesses, according to Marco Bizzotto. It’s alsoimportant that these same officials keep awatchful eye on costs and other business-relatedchallenges.

“Achievement of this requires a commitmentthat we are able to accomplish as a companythanks to our experience and dedication,” headded. “Bizzotto’s future centers around thebuilding of greater custom automation systemsfor all areas of assembly and packaging, as thefuture of broom, brush and mop productionremains contingent on developing new productsand models.” Contact: Bizzotto Giovanni Automation Srl,

Via M.Buonarroti, 67 Paviola di S. Giorgio in Bosco (PD).

Phone: +39 049 9451067.Email: [email protected]: www.bizzottoautomation.com.

Automation and product quality continueto be the two main driving factors forcustomers purchasing mop making

equipment from FIBRATExSA, a machinerymanufacturer located in Honduras.

“Seeking vertical markets and specializedsectors through the use of technologicalinnovations is very important for healthycompanies. This is why those businesses that stillthrive in the mop industry continue to innovate andbuy state-of-the-art equipment,” FIBRATExSAManaging Director Robert Handal said.

The company’s mop making equipmentincludes sewing stations and automatic cutters.Its existence was “born out of necessity” years

ago, Handal added, to help FIBRATEXSA’s sisterHonduran company, HIMESA, which is aproducer of mop yarns, mops and relatedproducts.

“The majority of HIMESA customers whopurchase mop yarn and mops also buy machineryfrom FIBRATEXSA,” Handal said. “This enablesour group to offer a complete solution to mopmanufacturers that includes mop yarn, mop tape,plastic components and machinery.

“Our experience in the mop industry helpsFIBRATEXSA offer machinery that has beenproven in real-life factory environments. Thismachinery is, ‘beefed up, heavy-duty and builtto last.’”

A continued focus on advancements inautomation is important for both FIBRATEXSA,and the company’s customers, according toHandal.

“Advanced automation provides moreproductivity, less focus on labor, and moreprecision in quality and manufacturingspecifications. There is no downside,” he said.

Therefore, continued innovation remainsessential at FIBRATEXSA. For example, thecompany has finished its first computerized wireforming and bending machine known as theFIBRATEXSA WB1. It features 2D and 3Dcapabilities. This allows for the availability ofintricate designs.

“This is important for the mop industry whenutilizing wire in the production process of dustmop frames, lay flat-style mops, mop holders andmore,” Handal said.

One of the challenges Handal reported for hiscompany regards “copycat” mop makingmachinery currently on the market. Thesemachines, he said, are lower in price but are madewith low-grade parts.

“I feel those companies that purchase thesecheaper machines will end up paying for theirmistakes at the end. You can’t substitute quality,”Handal added.

Despite everyday challenges, FIBRATEXSArepresentatives stress the need for their companyto continue providing quality mop makingequipment and service.

“Service is of the upmost importance. When anissue arises, we are prepared with videotechnology and remote diagnostics. This directlyinvolves technical personnel at a customer’sfacility, allowing us to help solve issues withoutan expensive visit,” Handal said.

As far as the future of FIBRATEXSA isconcerned, Handal explained that companyrepresentatives remain busy with new machinerydesigns, joint ventures and establishing divisions.

“We have a lot of good things ‘cooking’ rightnow,” he said. “I also want to thank all of ourcustomers for their continued support.”

Contact: FIBRATEXSAMachines,Div. of HIMESA Honduras.Phone: ++504-2558-8141.

Websites: www.fibratexsa.com;www.himesa.com.

FIBRATEXSA


A representative from an industry supplier recently discussed differentissues that are influencing the raw materials his company works with on aregular basis.

According to Mike Fredrickson, of Jewel Wire, a division of Loos &Co., the overall supply of raw materials needed to produce wire for thebrush industry remains strong. There are, however, always challenges.

“Nickel and copper supplies have run through periods of instability overthe past few years. Although nickel prices have dropped, costs remainhigh to manufacture the material into wire. These costs seem to eitherstay the same or go up. They never seem to go down, unless you re-engineer, which is what we try to do to stay competitive. People see acommodity decrease in price and they expect everything (associated with it)to go down in price as well. That’s tough because we are doing so much tothat material as a manufacturer,” said Fredrickson, who is the salesmanager - wire division for the company.

Jewel Wire (www.loosco.com/products/brush-wire/), of Pomfret, CT, is amanufacturer of custom wire products. The company provides many wiretypes to the brush and related industries, including brass, phosphor bronze,stainless steel, stainless nickel alloy, nickel silver, high carbon and lowcarbon steel, and custom materials.

The wire made from these raw materials differ in tensile strength andyield, along with fatigue, size and surface values — all important factors forbrush manufacturers.

“The brushes that feature our different wires are very diversified,”Fredrickson said.

He explained that when it comes to brush production, wire can be used ina variety of ways. This includes strengthening a product, serving as afilament or holding filament in place.

“Wire can either make a brush very coarse or very fine — it all dependson what end-users want to grind, brush or scrape off. It also depends on whatkind of finish they are looking to achieve,” Fredrickson said. “Jewel Wiresupplies many OEMs in the brush wire industry. We crimp wire as well as

supply straight wire in bundles, hanks and spools. Although we considerourselves a ‘stainless’ mill in general, we strive to supply all types of wireproducts for customers.

“Not one customer of ours makes just one specific product. They all builddifferent things, and that is what makes the brush industry so unique. Thereare a lot of customers who work together as many have their own specialties.This includes brushes for the industrial, medical, oil and gas and retailmarkets. The marketplace for brushes seems to be growing. There arebrushes to clean grills and golf clubs, while others are used in large gasturbines and nuclear reactors. It’s a very interesting industry, and full ofgreat people. They are always looking to find new markets for brushes.”

Most of the raw materials used by Jewel Wire come from domesticsources, Fredrickson said, helping provide customers with shorter lead timesfor their wire supplies.

“We are very confident with our present raw material supply. It comesthrough Loos & Co., which provides wire rope, cable, etc.,” he added. “Wetake this a step further by also using engineers from Loos & Co., to bettersupport Jewel Wire and our customers.”

Evaluating usage on a monthly basis, and understanding the history ofpeak demands when it comes to wire material, is all part of conductingbusiness at Jewel Wire, according to Fredrickson.

“We supply customers who are located throughout the world from ourmanufacturing facility in Pomfret. Thus, our customers’ products canliterally be found all over the globe,” he said. “Jewel Wire’s market sharehas risen in the past two years, and we are very confident for 2016. I feel thisis due to our re-engineering capabilities, and helping customers with newproduct development.

“We also continue to upgrade our machinery and testing equipment,which helps with future production. Our goal is to always have automatedproduction systems in place, filled with efficient machinery. Jewel Wirecontinues to be a specialty mill. We provide customized items, and have alarge stock of material on hand.”

MATERIALREPORTRAW Mike Fredrickson

U King 66,717 423,747Nethlds 46,849 200,598Belgium 165,551 639,391France 51,728 133,654Germany 426,199 2,104,567Austria 2,512Czech 5,833 65,417Hungary 2,754Lichten 2,214Switzld 32,483 116,817Estonia 23,280Latvia 6,394Lithuan 161,367Poland 21,237 186,313Spain 78,036 755,041Italy 258,426 1,508,580Slvenia 4,314Romania 3,130Turkey 5,796 22,722Israel 177,785 635,330Jordan 3,618

Arab Em 30,277India 8,390 168,067Pakistn 516,807 3,079,564Bngldsh 29,681 145,955Sri Lka 56,339 1,074,961Thailnd 158,918 1,304,079Vietnam 115,039 289,241Malaysa 70,366 904,674Singapr 5,280Indnsia 140,375 603,998China 43,786,182 233,962,647Kor Rep 307,394 1,649,364Hg Kong 421,522 2,901,014Taiwan 1,809,166 9,923,204Japan 65,587 248,547Austral 213,973 660,510N Zeal 100,352Egypt 38,863 185,972Sier Ln 7,736Rep Saf 28,881 96,453TOTAL 59,690,141 315,283,562

June Imports: Continued From Page 51

bbm’s 2015 machinery showcase - broom, brush and mop

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